PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The agitating workers of the Uttarakhand Purva Sainik Kalyan Nigam Limited (UPNL) have suspended their long-standing protest and work boycott call. The workers decided to suspend their protest following the State government’s announcement on Tuesday that personnel deployed through UPNL in government departments, who have completed 12 years or more of continuous service, will be provided with a minimum salary based on the pay scale and dearness allowance under the principle of “equal work for equal pay.”
It is important to note that for the past several days, UPNL employees had been holding protests at Parade Ground. Their actions stemmed from long-standing grievances, particularly the need for regularisation of their employment and equal pay for equal work.
The officiating president of the UPNL Federation of Employees, Mahesh Bhatt, told The Pioneer that a meeting of a delegation of UPBL workers with chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami was held on Tuesday. Following this meeting, the State government released an order on the issue.
He said that in the order it was specified that equal pay for equal work will be provided to UPNL workers who have completed 12 years of service in the same department. Decisions regarding other UPNL workers will be made in another phase. Considering this development, a decision to suspend the protest was made. Bhatt added that the concerned officials informed them that an official order regarding this recent announcement would be issued by Thursday. He emphasised that if the officials do not issue the order by Thursday, they will resume their protest.
