SHILLONG: Casual workers of Meghalaya Electricity Corporation Limited (MeECL) under the banner of MeECL Progressive Workers’ Union (MPWU) served a notice to the Chairman cum Director (CMD) of MeECL, PS Thangkhiew that it would go on an indefinite strike from December 12 following the apathetic attitude of the MeECL officials.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, president of MPWU, Mantishaphrang Lyngdoh Giri said, “We decided to agitate with a sit-in demonstration today to protest against the MeECL.”
Elaborating further, he said that the Labour Commissioner in a meeting held with the officials of MeECL and the executive members of the Union on November 3 stated that the dispute should be settled amicably with the management and the union.
It may be noted that the Labour Commissioner maintained that a point-by-point critique of the contract could be discussed and to address the demands of the workers.
However, according to Giri, the MeECL has so far not taken action on the direction of the Labour Commissioner which has irked the union prompting it to call for a strike.
Protesting outside the Lumjingshai office on Monday, there were casual workers from East Khasi Hills, Jaintia hills and Garo hills and over hundreds were seen marching towards the CMD office to serve the strike notice. The workers chanted slogans, “We shall fight, we shall win”, “Long live, MPWU.”
The charter of demands of the union included the release of arrears from 2015, minimum wage rate and demanded that the November 2017 pay has to be as per latest minimum wage.
