Ludhiana: PSPCL workers warn of protest over ‘excessive workload’

PSPCL substation workers, under the banner of the Grid Sangharsh Committee, Ludhiana, have warned of a protest over the non-payment of overtime wages and “exhausting” work schedules. During a meeting at the 66 KV substation near Fountain Chowk on Saturday, the workers said they would launch their protest if higher-ups failed to fulfil their demands. During the meeting, the workers highlighted the acute shortage of substation attendants across more than 70 substations.

They alleged that due to lack of recruitment, the existing staff are being forced to handle the workload in multiple shifts and duties, often under immense pressure. In some instances, a single attendant is expected to manage the entire operations of a substation, posing serious risks to the safety of workers and the overall efficiency of the system. A major point of contention was the denial of weekly offs and gazetted holidays.



A representative from the committee noted, “While the duty chart indicates 115 working hours per post per month, workers are barely managing to get 50 hours of rest in a week, which is severely affecting their well-being and morale.” They also alleged that they have not been compensated for the extra work in the past several months. “If immediate action is not taken, we will have no choice but to intensify our agitation.

Unless the staffing issues are addressed and our work-life balance is improved, we will be forced to take more drastic steps, including launching a protest,” said Ashok Kumar, a member of the committee. The meeting was attended by several key union members and substation workers, including Ashok Kumar, Balveer Chand, Rakesh Kumar, Pawan Kumar, Amritpal Singh and Gurjeet Singh. PSPCL chief engineer (protection and maintenance wing) Punnardeep Singh Brar said, “Recruitments are being conducted by the higher authorities of the PSPCL.

The dues (overtime wages) are assessed by the Committee of Whole Time Directors (WTD). We have disbursed payments to several employees. Payments for the rest will be released soon.

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