UT Powermen Union Condemns Functioning of Administration and CPDL; Announces Launch of Prolonged Struggle

UT Powermen Union Condemns Functioning of Administration and CPDL; Announces Launch of Prolonged Struggle

Chandigarh 1 June ( Ranjeet Singh Dhaliwal ) : An executive committee meeting of the UT Powermen Union, Chandigarh, was held under the chairmanship of Union President Amrik Singh. During the meeting, serious cognizance was taken of the Administration's decision to transfer employees to the private company CPDL without their consent, as well as the continuous harassment and high-handedness faced by these employees at the hands of both the Administration and CPDL. Consequently, a decision was reached to launch a direct struggle against these actions.

The meeting highlighted the plight of employees who have retired over the past year; they are currently being denied their pensions, gratuities, and leave encashment benefits—and are even being withheld from accessing their own accumulated GPF (General Provident Fund) savings. More than a dozen employees have applied for GPF withdrawals over the last 10 months—seeking funds for purposes such as their children's weddings, purchasing houses or plots, and financing their children's education—yet their requests remain unfulfilled. These employees are being deliberately harassed over the past 10 months specifically because they have moved the courts to challenge the Administration's decision. As a direct consequence of this administrative decision, employees are being forced to pay fines and interest charges ranging from ₹18,000 to ₹22,000 every month; meanwhile, the Finance Secretary, Engineering Secretary, Chief Engineer, Superintending Engineer, and Executive Engineer remain mere spectators to this injustice. The employees' CGHS (Central Government Health Scheme) coverage has been discontinued. 

Furthermore, the allotment and exchange of government housing have been halted, and even the maintenance and repair work for the houses currently occupied by employees have been suspended. These residential quarters have deteriorated into dilapidated ruins, and incidents of theft are on the rise; yet, the concerned officials continue to stand by idly. Shockingly, even the orders issued by the courts are being disregarded. In essence, the Administration appears unwilling to acknowledge or treat these individuals as legitimate government employees. On the other hand, while extracting two to three times the normal workload from its staff, CPDL has failed to provide employees with even basic amenities—going so far as to neglect even the provision of seating arrangements—and shows a complete disregard for their safety. The situation has now deteriorated to the point where employees are not even receiving their salaries on time. 

CPDL, which had previously promised to accommodate temporary employees within the company during the transfer process, is now resorting to evasive tactics and making excuses, such as demanding additional paperwork. The financial crunch has become so severe that even part-time employees are seeing deductions made from their wages for Sundays—a day for which they were previously paid—while the company has completely reneged on its earlier commitment to provide perks and benefits based on performance. The Union has declared its resolve to wage a continuous struggle against both the administration and the company.