Power sector employees to strike work on December 8

More than 12 lakh power sector employees and engineers across the country will go on a day-long strike on December 8 to protest an electricity bill, an engineers' association said on Monday.

"National Coordination Committee Of Electricity Employees and Engineers (NCCOEEE) has decided to observe a one-day strike/work boycott on December 8 against the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2014, introduced during the winter session of parliament last year," the All India Power Engineers Federation said in a statement here.

"The strike decision was taken by NCCOEEE in its meeting held in Delhi," the statement added.

All state units of power sector employees will hold conventions and mass demonstrations or rallies in the state capitals during November to mobilise support for the December 8 strike.

NCCOEEE also plans to hold a major demonstration on November 6 during a meeting of the state power ministers in Kochi.

The signatories to the strike notice include All India Power Engineers Federation, All India Federation of Power Diploma Engineers, All India Electricity Employees Federation, Electricity Employees Federation of India, Indian National Electricity Workers Federation and All India Power Mens Federation.

The Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2014, introduced in the Lok Sabha last year seeks to segregate distribution business from electricity generation.

It also seeks to introduce multiple supply licensees that will give consumers a choice on their service provider.

According to employee unions, splitting the distribution sector into carriage and content would allow companies eyeing only profits to enter the supply business without any interest in investment for the development of the power sector.

It would also lead to rise in tariffs for the consumers, the NCCOEE said.