Every form of and every attempt at privatization will be strongly opposed!
Report of Uttar Pradesh Vidyut Karmachari Sanyukta Sangharsh Samiti
(Translation of Hindi report)
Uttar Pradesh electricity workers staged a strong protest against the reduction of 8,000 posts through vertical restructuring at LESA (Lucknow Electricity Supply Administration), in the capital city of Lucknow, as part of the privatization process. Responding to a call from the Uttar Pradesh Vidyut Karmachari Sanyukta Sangharsh Samiti, electricity workers held statewide protests against the privatization of Purvanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam and Dakshinanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam. Workers stated that they would strongly oppose every form of and attempt at privatization. They registered their protest by demonstrating vigorously outside their offices.
Central office bearers of the Sangharsh Samiti stated that the implementation of the vertical system at LESA is eliminating approximately 8,000 posts, which is likely to cripple the power supply system in the capital. The committee alleged that the vertical system is being implemented solely for the purpose of privatization and to pave the way for private companies, resulting in the elimination of thousands of posts of electricity workers and engineers, causing widespread anger among them.
The Sangharsh Samiti stated that the elimination of approximately 1350 posts of TG2, 287 posts of junior engineers, and 45 posts of engineers has created an atmosphere of chaos in LESA, and during the festive season, fear of being removed from Lucknow has gripped employees at all levels, severely impacting the functioning of the organization.
The committee further stated that parallel to the privatization of Purvanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam and Dakshinanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam, preparations are underway to implement a vertical system in all major cities under Paschimanchal and Madhyanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigams, handing over the electricity distribution system in these cities to urban distribution franchisees.
The Sangharsh Samiti added that a similar system is already in place in cities across the country where private companies operate under urban distribution franchises, resulting in more work being extracted from fewer employees. The protest committee stated that under the guise of implementing a vertical system in LESA, approximately 6000 contract workers, who are already poorly paid, are being removed, which will not only cripple the electricity distribution system but also constitutes an inhumane act.
After ensuring uninterrupted power supply to consumers during the Diwali festival, electricity workers staged widespread protests across all districts of the state. Workers protested and resolved to launch a mass “jail bharo” (“fill the jails”) andolan against the privatization of Purvanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam and Dakshinanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam. They declared that the movement against privatization would continue until the decision to privatize is reversed. A protest was held at the Residency in the capital, Lucknow. Strong protests were also held in Varanasi, Agra, Meerut, Kanpur, Gorakhpur, Mirzapur, Azamgarh, Basti, Aligarh, Mathura, Etah, Jhansi, Banda, Bareilly, Devipatan, Ayodhya, Sultanpur, Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Bulandshahr, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Moradabad.