The ongoing strike by employees of the energy department in protest to the choice to privatise power distribution was deemed ‘illegal’ by the administration of the Union Territory on Sunday. ‘The strike is illegal under section 3 (q) of Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 and employees resorting to strike are liable for action as per rules,’ said T Arun, secretary of the electricity department, in a statement.
He stated that the strike period will also be considered as ‘a break in service.’ The secretary appealed with the staff to call off and return their regular duties, saying that ‘necessary action would be taken as per rules’ if they didn’t. According to Arun, the government had proposed privatization the power distribution sector ‘to increase efficiency and consumer satisfaction.’
He said ‘Section 133 of the Electricity Act, 2003, ensured all safeguards, that there would be no shortfall in the salary of employees and they would draw the monthly salary regularly as is being paid at present by the government.’ At the meetings on September 28 and 29, delegates from the Privatization Protest committee, according to him, promised that no section of the public would be affected by the agitation or strike.
However, ‘miscreants’ sabotaged the functioning of all three 230 KV substations as well as overhead power lines on October 1, cutting out power to the entire Puducherry region. This is illegal and is punishable, he said.