SUCCESSFUL STRIKE ON 21^ST MAY 03 IN PUNJAB

On the call of National Trade Unions, the unions of Public Sectors and various federations have held one day successful strike on 21^st May in the Punjab State Electricity Board. The members of major unions in Punjab State Electricity Board i.e. Technical Services Union (Affiliated to EEFI). Ministerial Services Union (Affiliated with EEFI) and PSEB Employees Federation (Affiliated with AITUC) participated in the strike. About 36000 employees remained on full day strike and it was 43% strike all over in the Punjab State Electricity Board. Though there was an other two-days strike on May 6^th & 7^th which was against the Govt. Policies of privatizing and un-bundling the Electricity Board and for implementation of written agreement signed on 7.7.2002 between PSEB Management and the leadership of various unions joint front.

It is notable that PSEB employees are jointly struggling against the World Bank,WTO dictated policies being implemented by the Central Govt. And for their economic demands. In this front the major unions working in the PSEB are jointly agitating since last 14 years, some major demands such as two promotional scales for each employee after completion of 9 years and 16 years service, as regular employee in one category/cadre had already been accepted and implemented since1.1.1986 pay revision. Now according to the last agreement this formula is to be adopted by the Board in new scales which are revised we. 1.1.96 and further two increments are to be granted to each employee on completion of 23 years regular service as advance promotional benefit subject to that the concerned employee has already not availed 3^rd actual promotion.

At present the partners of this Joint Front (which is working without its proper organisational name) are (i) PSEB- Employees Struggle Committee (comprising of Technical Services Union & Ministerial Services Union as Joint Action Committee, PSEB Employees Federation (AITUC) and Thermal Employees Coordination Committee (ii) Employees Federation (Surinder Singh) – A Akali Dal Fraction.(iii) Workers Federation-PWEB (INTUC) (iv) Punjab Raj Bijli Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) and(v) Bijli Mulazam Front (A fraction of digident members of various unions and some categories).

The decision in this front are taken on concesses basis. But for making a conceses on very issue either on demand or on the formation of struggle, the role of independent struggle of PSEB Employees Struggle Committee is continuously agitating since last many years. It is a learning and wonderful point that the two-days strike on 6^th & 7^th May was endorsed by the whole front and the nation wide strike of 21^st May was endorsed only by the three constituents of the front i.e. Technical Service Union,. Ministerial Services Union and PSEB Employees Federation-AITUC. And after the Nation wide strike unions met again on 28^th May and a Joint programme of agitation had been chalked out against the policy at unbundling of Electricity Board and other economic demands. It is further good news that council of Junior Engineers has also joined in this front on 28.5.2003 meeting.

In this way, now people are questioning the other constituents of this front, that why they had not participated in the 21^st May strike while they were in 6^th & 7^th May strike. The common demand in both the strikes was "not to privatise/unbundling of Electricity Board". Due to continuous and independent agitation by the PSEB Employees Struggle Committee for some common demands which appeals to every employee and then joint struggle for the same. This phenomena is again and again repeated and it is hoped that it will succeed to draw the whole sections of the PSEB employees in the Patriotic Battle which is being fought against anti-national &anti-people policies dictated by imperialism through World Bank, IMF, WTO.