Labour front backs NHPC Stage V workers

GANGTOK, August 28: The labour frontal organization of the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) party has backed the NHPC Teesta Stage V workers who have threatened to launch an indefinite strike at the hydro-electric power plant at Balutar from August 31 if their pending demands are not met by the management.
In a meeting held today at SDF party headquarters here at Indira Bypass, the All Sikkim Democratic Labour Front (ASDLF) said that the demands raised by the labourers of NHPC Teesta Stage V plant are fully justified. The labour front also demanded the NHPC management to resolve the labour issue without any further delay.

“We will like to draw the attention of the NHPC Teesta Stage V management not to play with the rights of the labourers and not to allow the peace and discipline of Sikkim to be vitiated. If the demands are not met in due time, the labour front will also join the peaceful strike to be started by the workers at the plant”, warned the ASDLF in a press statement.
On Thursday, the fifty three workers recruited by the NHPC Teesta Stage V project as part of its rehabilitation and resettlement package for the project displaced families had threatened to launch an indefinite strike at power plant from August 31. They have been demanding ‘re-designation of existing grade as per educational qualifications’ as all of them have employed in the lowest grade of W-0 as helpers.
The NHPC management has been given a deadline of August 30 to fulfill their demands, failing which, the workers have threatened to launch an indefinite strike from the next day stopping all production work in the power plant.
Backing the agitating workers, the ASDLF said that the steps taken by them are in the interests of Sikkim and Sikkimese labourers. “We also appeal all the NGOs to support the strike call of the NHPC workers,” the labour front said.

Source: VOC