25-05-2025
Ludhiana: Outsourced staff's strike for regular jobs cripples PSPCL functioning
Just a week before the advent of the paddy season, the PSPCL is grappling with a severe crisis as an ongoing strike by outsourced complaint handling bike (CHB) and complaint handling wagon (CHW) workers has brought its regular operations almost to a halt. Faced with gusty winds, unscheduled power outages, infrastructure failures, the power utility is struggling to maintain even basic services.
To cope up with the challenge, officials confirmed that the corporation has also halted issuance of new electricity connections, both domestic and industrial, across Ludhiana. With the strike entering its fourth consecutive day, field operations have also been directly impacted, leaving approximately 447 meter installations pending citywide.
Over the past week, several areas in Ludhiana experienced prolonged, unscheduled power outages, especially during evening and night hours. In response, PSPCL instructed divisional officials to identify vulnerable spots and carry out repair and augmentation work on strained transformers and transmission lines to ensure uninterrupted power supply. However, this plan has been severely disrupted as the outsourced workers primarily handle these on-ground technical tasks, leaving limited manpower to manage repairs.
The strike has also put pressure on regular PSPCL employees, whose working hours have been extended and their holidays suspended until the strike ends. Despite these efforts, the utility struggles to keep essential services afloat.
The situation is grave in Ludhiana due to stark shortage of technical manpower. Official data reveals that out of 4,963 sanctioned posts for linemen and assistant linemen, 76% (3,767 posts) remain vacant. To serve over 17 lakh consumers in the city, only 1,196 linemen and assistant linemen are currently available, forcing the PSPCL to suspend all its other regular operations.
Chief engineer Jagdev Singh Hans of PSPCL's central zone acknowledged the crisis, stating, 'Our topmost priority is to ensure uninterrupted power supply while other regular operations have been put on hold until the strike is resolved.'
The strike began on May 20, involving around 3,500 outsourced CHB and CHW workers under the Powercom and Transco Contractual Workers Union, Punjab. Their key demands include stopping privatisation policies in the power department, removal of outsourced firms and direct recruitment by the PSPCL.
They are also pressing for unconditional regularisation of outsourced employees, salary fixes as per the Minimum Wages Act (1948) and 15th Labour Conference recommendations, legal death compensation with government jobs and pensions for family members of electrocuted workers, salary increments or promotions after 3, 5, and 7 years of service, provision of housing at minimal rent, severance packages of at least ₹30 lakh post-retirement and various allowances including project, shift duty, risk, vehicle, medical, mobile, and fuel allowances.
Additional demands include canceling unjustified remote transfers, arranging TTI training, reinstating terminated workers, enforcing work order benefits and timely payment of salaries.
Commenting on the ongoing strike, Balihar Singh, state president of the union, said, 'We are on an indefinite strike until the state government and the PSPCL management agree to our demands. Despite several rounds of talks, the government has failed to ensure better working conditions for us.'
