Palli Bidyut Samity employees go on strike demanding elimination of discrimination

Around 40,000 officials and employees of Palli Bidyut Samity across the country have gone on an indefinite strike to demand the implementation of uniform employment rules, including the elimination of discrimination between Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (BREB) and Palli Bidyut Samity(PBS).

This program is being held in front of the offices of 80 Palli Bidyut Samity of the country from 9 am on Sunday.
In a press release, it was informed that about 40,000 officials and employees of 80 Palli Bidyut Samity of the country are being deprived of various opportunities due to dual policy of the Rural Electrification Board. Even though the workers engaged in the work of electricity supply in the remote areas of the country are working in the same organization, they have been subjected to extreme discrimination in terms of rank, salary, allowance, bonus and promotion.

The officers and employees of PBS have been trying to implement their demands in a systematic manner, including collecting mass signatures, submitting memorandums to the chairman of the board. But the Rural Electrification Board (BREB), which is the regulator of the PBS, did not accept their demands, but instead suspended two AGMs of Bhola PBS, who were involved in the process, released two AGMs and transferred them to another PBS and attached two AGMs of Sirajganj PBS-2 to the board. This caused anger among about 40,000 officers and employees of 80 PBS.

However, even though they have been protesting since Sunday morning, the agitators said that one manpower is working in each sub-centre to keep the emergency power supply normal. All types of customer service and other activities will be closed.

According to the concerned, Palli Bidyut Samity is engaged in supplying electricity to about four crore consumers (80 percent) of the country. Officials and employees of PBS controlled by BREB are constantly being subjected to various discriminations.

By removing the existing disparities, operating the same service code of BREB and PBS, 5% incentive effective from July-23, 2015 pay-in-progress from July-15, 400 units of electricity bill allowance, two days weekly holiday, fixed working hours, overtime/disturbance allowance for overtime work, implementation of all facilities provided by the government like BREB including medical allowance, non-harassment in the name of audit are their demands.