MUZAFFARABAD: Around 300 employees of the Neelum-Jhelum Hydroelectric Project (NJHP) have been on strike since Monday seeking job security.

The ‘pen-down’ strike is being observed by the non-gazetted (B-1 to B-16) employees of the vital 969-megawatt project at Chattar Klass outside the office of managing director (MD) of the NJHP Company.

Chattar Klass is home to the powerhouse and residential colony of project and is referred to as a C-III.

The composite dam and water intake structures are located in Nauseri, referred to as C-I. Another construction site in Majhoi is referred to as C-II.

The employees, posted at all three sites, gather at Chattar Klass in the morning and stage a sit-in at an open space in the residential colony, which also houses the office of MD, Brig (retired) Mohammad Zareen.

While holding placards and banners inscribed with their concerns and demands, they also take round of the colony, occasionally shouting slogans about fulfilment of the promises made to them from time to time.

According to Shaikh Altaf, president of Wapda Labour Union (CBA) in NJHP, all employees – whether daily wagers, contractual or regular – were appointed under Wapda rules.

However, in 2014, they were declared as employees of the NJHP Company “in disregard to employer’s initial stance that all employees would eventually be the liability of Wapda,” he added.

Ironically, as the project draws close to commissioning, Wapda as well as NJHP Company have failed to devise any HR (human resource) policy to secure the future of the protesting employees.

Some four years ago, the NJHP Board of Directors, headed by the Wapda chairman had constituted an HR committee but despite holding at least 10 meetings it had not been able to compile HR rules for the employees, Mr Altaf said.

“We are afraid that the authorities just want to keep us calm until the commissioning of the project, next year,” he added.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2017