Outsourced workers slam Centre, Punjab govt for privatisation; stage sit-in outside PSPCL Patiala

Indian Express

20 hours ago

Outsourced workers staged a sit-in protest opposite the head office gate of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) in Patiala on Thursday. The protesters from Technical Services Union (Regd.) and the Coordination Committee of Powercom and Transco raised slogans and also held a march through the city streets.
The protest was organised under the joint leadership of union leaders Krishan Singh Aulakh, Balihar Singh Kataria, Gurvinder Singh Pannu, Jagrup Singh and Balwinder Singh Saini. The union members were accompanied by their family members. Many farmer unions and labour unions too supported them.
Notably, the power corporation has over 5,500 outsourced contractual staff who are on strike since July 1.
Addressing the gathering, Kataria said 'under the imperialist-guided economic and industrial policies, the central and Punjab governments are implementing so-called economic reforms that in reality expand corporate loot through privatisation. All ruling parties are united in enforcing this anti-people privatisation agenda. In line with these imperialist policies, the Punjab government, by enforcing the Electricity Act 2003 and 2022, has accelerated the privatisation of the electricity corporation decades ago. They have withdrawn the Minimum Wages Act and imposed Deputy commissioner (DC) rates instead, and have replaced permanent recruitment with outsourced contractual hiring'.
Sources revealed that to manage complaints, the PSPCL management, as part of their strategy, has recently issued orders at the division level to form special outsourced units to ensure uninterrupted supply of workforce during protests and strikes. The protesting workers rued that instead of making new permanent recruitments to address manpower shortages, more outsourced units are being made.
'This is not about providing uninterrupted electricity supply to consumers — it is a conspiracy to weaken the struggle against privatisation. It is a clear attempt to pit consumers and employees against each other to divide them,' Aulakh said.
Kataria urged the electricity employees, farmers and labour unions to stand united at a time when their 'existence and livelihoods are at stake due to this disastrous privatisation drive'.
Only through a common struggle can we save the electricity department and our jobs,' Kataria added.
The union leaders also highlighted that the Punjab government has passed a resolution to implement changes in labour laws. Notably, any industry or factory employing fewer than 20 workers will now be exempt from the Factories Act. This decision empowers corporates to exploit workers more harshly, which the leaders strongly condemned. Agricultural labour leader Harbhagwan Moonak also condemned the attack on workers' rights, the protesters said. They further demanded that the work orders for outsourced contract workers — which expired on 30 June 2025 — should be renewed immediately, as workers are being harassed with uncertainty.
Apart from the main unions, the protest was also addressed by Jaswinder Singh Longowal of the Bharti Kisan Union Ekta Ugrahan, Harmesh Malri of the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union, Hakim Singh Dhanetha of the Water Supply Sanitation Contract Workers Union, pensioners' leader Rajinder Kumar, Sher Singh Khanna of the Contract Morcha, and family members of workers Paramjit Kaur and Kamaljit Kaur.
In their addresses, the union leaders called upon the protesters to fully prepare for the nationwide strike against privatisation on July 9.