Ahead Of UPPCL Employees' Strike, CM Yogi Bans Cease-Work Protests By Govt Employees

Uttar Pradesh News: The Yogi Adityanath government has banned all forms of strike by government employees for a period of six months.

The Yogi Adityanath administration in UP has banned strikes by government employees.

Source : PTI

Ahead of the planned demonstrations and strike, the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has issued a diktat banning all cease-work protests for six months. The order banning strikes will be applicable to employees of every state government department and public sector undertakings. If any employee is found in violation of the order, action will be taken under the provisions of the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), warned the diktat.

The diktat comes ahead of the planned UPPPCL strike against the privatisation of two of its subsidiaries — Dakshinanchal and Purvanchal power distribution corporations — under a public-private partnership (PPP) model. On Thursday, UPPCL's Board of Directors approved the Request for Proposal (RFP) for the privatisation, which was then endorsed by the state’s Energy Task Force, led by Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh. The proposal now awaits approval from the state cabinet and regulatory clearance from the UP State Electricity Regulatory Commission.

The privatisation plan sparked resistance among power sector employees, who threatened to strike to oppose the move. Nationwide, power engineers and workers are reportedly opposing the privatisation decision, citing concerns about its implications. However, the UPPCL has assured that the land ownership of the subsidiaries will remain with the corporation and that there will be no layoff or change to the service conditions of existing employees.

This latest attempt to privatise the state’s struggling power distribution companies comes after two decades of unsuccessful efforts. This time, the government is optimistic about success, citing strategic reforms and a weakened opposition from trade union leaders due to legal constraints. A pending public interest litigation (PIL) in the Allahabad High Court has restricted union activities, particularly after a March 2023 order penalized 28 union leaders for calling a strike earlier that year.

The high court had previously warned employees against further strikes, cautioning that violation of its order could lead to severe legal repercussions. The court had also issued bailable warrants against union leaders for defying earlier directives to maintain uninterrupted power supply.

The government's latest diktat means that officials engaging in cease-work protests could be prosecuted under the ESMA.