Be ready: Power ministry’s advisory to states ahead of 2-day trade union strike

Ahead of the trade unions’ two-day national strike from March 28 to March 30, the power ministry on Sunday has written to all states governments and electricity authorities asking them to ensure normal functioning of the electricity supply during the strike of the employees. Shutdown activities planned during these two days may be rescheduled to suitable future dates, the ministry said. Additional manpower may be deployed at all critical power stations to handle any emergency conditions.

Control room executives should be vigil and on high alert and power supply to essential services like hospitals, defence infrastructure, railways should be ensured, the power ministry advisory said.

Many services are likely to be hit for two days across the nation as a joint forum of central trade unions has given a call for a nationwide strike on March 28 and 29, to protest against government policies affecting workers, farmers, and people. Roadways, transport workers, electricity workers, bank unions have decided to join the strike. The strike notices have been given by unions in the sectors such as coal, steel, oil, telecom, postal, income tax, copper, banks, insurance among others, a statement of the joint forum issued earlier said. The unions in railways and defence sector would be making mass mobilization in support of the strike at several hundreds of spots, it stated.

The West Bengal government made attendance mandatory on these two days of strike. “In view of calls given by different trade unions and others for a 48 hours nationwide strike/bandh on March 28 and 29, 2022, it has been decided that all state government offices including those provided with Grants-in-Aid by the state government shall remain open and all the employees shall report for duty on those days,” reads the state government memorandum.