Sylhet Palli Bidyut workers go on strike

Meter readers and messengers of Palli Bidyut Samity in Sylhet enforced an indefinite strike yesterday to press home their four-point demand, including regularisation of their jobs.

Their other demands are reinstating all certified employees, who left their jobs on completion of agreement, to their previous positions, reducing work pressure and withdrawal of the district quota system.

The demonstrators held a gathering in front of the offices of Sylhet Palli Bidyut Samity 1 and 2 with placards reading their demands.

They said they will continue the strike until their demands are met.

Samity officials said following the strike, preparation of electricity bill will be disrupted.

Anuj Chowdhury, one of the meter readers, said each of them used to read 2,000 electricity meters and each messenger handed over copies of the bills to consumers on a monthly basis.

But now, one person -- either the reader or the messenger -- has to do the entire work due to manpower crisis, he said.

Like him, many other meter readers alleged that some officials trying to put work pressure on them so that they quit their jobs.

The demonstrators said the number of meter readers and messengers is only 100 who have to cover the entire district.

The general managers of the Samity 1 and 2 could not be contacted over the phone despite repeated attempts.