Power sector employees, engineers and contract workers would go on a one-day nationwide strike on December 8 to protest the Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2014. The employees have served a notice to the Union Energy minister, Piyush Goyal during the power minister’s conference at Kochi on November 6.
Chairman of All India Power Engineer’s Federation (AIPEF) Shailendra Dubey said on Monday that the National Coordination Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers (NCCOEEE) had already served the strike / work boycott notice to the Union Power Minister.
``The NDA government is not inclined towards a negotiated settlement of the issue. They have adopted ‘my way or highway’ kind of attitude towards the power employees and engineers on the Bill. We have no option but to give a call or day long strike,’’ said Shailendra Dube.
“The amendments in the Bill, seeks to segregate power distribution network from electricity supply business and is basically anti-people. It does not look at the root cause of power sector ailments but only symptomatically treats the problems,” Dube alleged. He said the Union Energy minister had assured during discussions at Kochi that the Centre was making changes to the Bill that would be placed on the Internet before Winter Session of Parliament which did not happen.
Citing the disregard shown by the Union government towards the issues raised by the power men Shailendra Dube said `` NCCOEEE convener AB Bardhan had reminded Goyal through a letter about his promises, but more than a week’s time has elapsed but the Union minister did not deem it fit to reply thereby causing the deadlock’’. Dubey said leaders of all national federations would be meeting in Delhi on Tuesday to finalise the strategy for the strike. He added that despite opposition of power employees and engineers, central government has placed Electricity (Amendment) Bill 2014 on the agenda of lok Sabha for Winter Session.