Hry discoms employees to go on 2-day strike from tomorrow

Haryana power distribution companies today said they will go ahead with their proposed two-day strike starting tomorrow in protest against outsourcing of operation and maintenance of power sub-divisions as talks between employees and government failed.
"We offered various alternatives to the government in two-round of talks with Transport Minister Krishan Lal Pawar. But the government was adamant on its decision of privatization. They are forcing us to go on strike," President, Haryana State Electricity Board Worker's Union, Kanwar Singh Yadav said here at a press conference after the employees representatives and the government held talks yesterday.
"Around 22,000 employees will go on strike on June 29 and 30 while employees on night-shift will observe the same from 10 PM onwards today," he said, adding if Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar himself intervenes and rolls back the decision of privatization of 23 sub divisions, the strike call can be called-off.

Haryana Joint Action Committee (Power), General Secretary, Subhash Lamba, claimed privatization will not benefit government in anyway.
"It will create financial burden on the government. The government is privatising only those subdivisions, including five sub divisions of Gurgaon, which have minimum line losses and maximum revenue," he said.
Employees have been protesting against government's decision of outsourcing of operation and maintenance of 23 power sub-divisions in the state and removal of 485 contractual employees and purchase of power from private sources.

Besides, they are demanding filling up of 30,000 vacant posts, inquiry into sharp rise in losses and debt of power distribution companies.

Yesterday, the Chief Minister, while appealing to employees to withdraw their strike call, said his government was open to talks to address their grievances.
Earlier, government had invoked Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) in the state for six months to prevent disruption of power supply.
The strike has been called jointly by All Haryana Power Corporation Workers Union and Haryana State Electricity Board Worker's Union.