Varanasi: As part of a nationwide strike, power employees under the banner of Vidyut Karmachari Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti, UP staged a protest at the office of the managing director of Purvanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (PVVNL) in Bhikharipur area on Thursday.The employees protested against the proposed Electricity Amendment Bill 2026 and privatisation of the power sector. Addressing the gathering, union leaders said that handing over power distribution to private companies could lead to a reduction in subsidies and lifeline tariff benefits, making electricity unaffordable for poor and rural domestic consumers. They warned that granting new distribution licences to private players could weaken the role of state and central government-owned power companies, adversely affecting employees’ service conditions, salaries and job security.The leaders further said large-scale privatisation could make employment insecure and weaken the collective bargaining position of power sector workers.They also raised concerns over the new labour codes, stating that the threshold for seeking government permission before layoffs, retrenchment or closure has been increased from 100 to 300 employees. According to the speakers, this would allow companies employing fewer than 300 workers to terminate services without prior government approval, increasing the risk of arbitrary job losses and creating insecurity among workers.The protest meeting was presided over by Mayashankar Tiwari, while Ankur Pandey conducted the proceedings.
