SHILLONG:
The casual workers of the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) under the aegis of Meghalaya Progressive Workers Union started their sit-in at the office premises at Lumjingshai on Monday.
The Meghalaya Progressive Workers Union is demanding regularisation of the services of the casual workers.
During their first phase of agitation from August 29 to 31, the casual workers wore black badges to work in all offices of MeECL. This is their second phase of agitation and will continue till September 16 if their demands are not met.
While speaking to the media, president of MePWU, Mantiphrang Lyngdoh said that the union cannot accept the statement of Deputy Chief Minister in-charge Power Prestone Tynsong that the department cannot regularise their jobs due to financial crunch.
Lyngdoh said that in recent years the department had initiated various projects to the tune of crores of rupees.
He said that if their jobs were regularised it would not affect the finances of MeECL even as he added that if there is a will the government can do it.
“We won’t stop our agitation and we demand from the government to announce a timeline when it will frame a policy to regularise our jobs since many of us have been working for years,” the MePWU president stated.