Officials and employees of Palli Biddyut Samity (PBS) went on an indefinite strike throughout the country today to press home their 16-point demand, including elimination of wage and benefit discrimination.
The officials have been protesting in front of their respective offices since this morning, according to a press release issued by the strikers.
The release, however, said an officer of every PBS office remains on standby to ensure smooth electricity supply to its subscribers. So, there is no disruption in electricity supply following the strike.
"All other officials are on strike. All customer services have been suspended," the release added.
The press release also said the PBS officials are being deprived of various opportunities due to the dual policy of Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board (REB). Even though the workers engaged in the work of electricity supply in remote areas of the country are working in the same organisation, 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 REB did not accept their demands; they suspended two AGMs of Bhola PBS, transferred two other AGMs to another PBS office, and attached two AGMs of Sirajganj PBS-2 office to the board, the release added.
There are a total of 80 PBS offices across the country with a total of 3.58 crore subscribers, which is more than 70 percent of total consumers under REB.
