Dehradun, November 4 – The employees of the Uttarakhand Purva Sainik Kalyan Nigam Limited (UPNL) have declared a march to the Secretariat on November 11 to demand equal pay for equal work and regularization of their positions. The decision was made in a meeting of the UPNL Joint Front, where members warned that if the government fails to address their demands, the employees will go on an indefinite strike.
According to Vinod Godiyal, State Coordinator of the UPNL Employees Joint Front, the Nainital High Court ruled in favor of UPNL employees in 2018. However, the state government filed a Special Leave Petition (SLP) against this ruling in the Supreme Court, which was recently dismissed. Now, the government is reportedly preparing to file a review petition, which has sparked anger among the employees. The employees demand that the government implement the 2018 High Court decision without further delay.
Mahesh Bhatt, Acting State President of the UPNL Federation, announced that on November 11, employees will hold a rally as part of their protest.
In preparation for the rally, meetings were held in various departments, including Doon Medical College and Hospital, the Energy Corporation, and the Forest Department. Vinay Prasad, General Secretary of the Joint Front, stated that if the demands are not met, essential services like energy, medical, and transportation could also be halted. Other leaders present at the meeting included Women’s Front State President Meena Rauthan and General Secretary Ramesh Dobhal.
