MeECL employees launch signature campaign over salary demand

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaNovember 30, 2020

Employees of the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) have launched a signature campaign as a mark of protest against the management’s failure to fulfill their demands related to payment of salary.

The signature campaign was initiated under the banner of the Coordination Committee of Registered MeECL (Employees) Associations and Unions (CCORMAU).

“Since the facts have established that our constitutional rights are being denied to us by the management, therefore, during the course of agitation fighting for our rights, if any employee of the MeECL is arrested or detained, I shall willingly court arrest myself until our rights are fulfilled; and to that effect I put my signature below,” the employees pledged.

They said that they are aware that the Meghalaya Essential Services Maintenance Act has been invoked by the state government which means that any disruption of essential services may result in arrest of any or all employees of MeECL, should call for a shutdown.

Earlier, a memorandum was also submitted to the MeECL chairman-cum-managing director (CMD) Arun Kumarkembhavi in this regard.

The nine point charter of demands include disbursement of salary for the month of October on or before December 4, salary for month of November on or before December 10, salaries of all subsequent months on or prior to the 5^th of every month, arrears due to the employees arising of ROP 2015, including those due to contractual employees be cleared within December 31, TA, DA, medical reimbursement, transfer grant, all allowances be cleared within March 31, next years and others.

Stating that the situation could be avoided, the employees however said, “…as the time has come, we are left with no other option but to fight for our constitutional right of salary for the hard work we have put in.”

“However, how long shall we tolerate the injustice of month after months of anxiety, insufficiency, suffering, worry and despair?

Should the sorry state of affairs in our organization be allowed to continue? The situation has become so bad that it has become a matter of life and death for many since being down to their last rupee.

How can we bear the ignomity of having to beg for money to meet the needs of our families?” they asked.

“While we are suffering, the industries are being offered very low rates of tariff, unnecessary loans are being availed, project estimates are being escalated right and left with no control at all and high value defaulters are enjoying uninterrupted power supply,” the employees said.

“These illogical actions are putting our livelihood at risk. In fact, our entire efforts and labour is being utilized but we are not getting paid for it.

Therefore, even if we are to be arrested, we shall have to face the consequences in order to get our right and to keep our families alive,” they stated.

In the memorandum, the CCORMAU said that if the management fails to meet the demands for salary, then as a measure of last resort, all employees have resolutely and unanimously resolved to adopt tough measures until their rights are fulfilled.