PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Workers across the State employed under the Uttarakhand Purva Sainik Kalyan Nigam Limited (UPNL) staged a protest at Parade Ground in Dehradun on Monday. The officiating president of the UPNL federation of employees, Mahesh Bhatt informed that around 22,000 employees have been providing services across all departments under UPNL. These workers have been demanding the regularisation of their services, along with equal pay for equal work, for a long time. He claimed that earlier, the chief minister had assured UPNL workers that action would be taken regarding their demands. However, Bhatt said that no official communication or action has been taken in this matter so far, which is a significant concern for the workers. In view of this, on Monday, approximately 4,000 UPNL employees participated in the protest at Parade Ground. Bhatt said that this demonstration is part of an ongoing movement and they will continue their protest until the CM assures them that their demands will be addressed. As part of the protest, UPNL workers also boycotted their work in various departments.
The protest by UPNL workers was ongoing at the time of filing this report.
It is important to mention that UPNL employees have been seeking the regularisation of their services and have approached the Uttarakhand Court regarding their demands. In 2018, the court issued a directive on the principle of “equal pay for equal work.” In response, the State government appealed to the Supreme Court to challenge this directive. However, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal and directed the State government to ensure that these employees receive the same pay as their regular counterparts. The government subsequently filed a special leave petition in the SC on this issue.
