Puducherry power sector employees begin indefinite strike

Puducherry, Feb 1 The indefinite strike called here by the employees of the Puducherry electricity department to voice protest against the privatisation of distribution and transmission of power began on Tuesday.

Employees of Puducherry, Karaikkal, Yanam, and Mahe are in protest and have stuck work in all offices, installations, and sub-stations of Puducherry electricity department.

The strike is in response to the call given by the Electricity Engineers and Employees Privatisation Protest Committee (EEEPPC).

The employees of the Electricity Department assembled and protested near the head office of the department at Sonampalayam junction after police personnel prevented the employees except those working at the head office from entering there.

According to sources in the department, around 2,000 employees have joined the strike in the union territory against the privatisation steps taken by the Union Territory government.

EEEPPC leader C. Arul Murugan while addressing the striking employees, said: "Unless the Chief Minister and the Power Minister A. Namassivayam don't give an assurance that the transmission and distribution of Puducherry Electricity Department will not be privatised, the strike will continue. We have joined as government employees and want to retire as government employees."

He said that the employees will not attend to any transmission or distribution faults in the line and also not participate in the bill collection and payment in offices unless the strike is resolved.

EEEPPC leader P. Velmurugan said that they cannot be cowed down by threats like evoking Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) and said that the employees and workers would handle such a situation.

Heavy contingent of police has been deployed at all major electricity offices in the territory including at Puducherry, Karaikkal, Yanam and Mahe.

Opposition parties like the DMK and the Congress would conduct protest marches across the state on Tuesday evening in support to the strike conducted by the electricity department employees.

Trade union leaders in the power sector of Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have reached Puducherry and participated in the strike.