UPNL staff rejects new work agreement, flag HC order violation

Dehradun: Members of Uttarakhand Purva Sainik Kalyan Nigam Ltd (UPNL) have rejected a new work agreement issued by the govt on Thursday, alleging it “violates high court orders and does not address their demands”.

State general secretary Pramod Singh Gusain said, “The agreement does not align with the high court’s order and includes clauses that curtail employees’ rights. There are objections to denial of regularisation, provision of honorarium instead of a standard pay scale, absence of allowances and other restrictive clauses.”

The agreement states that “appointments are temporary and do not confer any right to regularisation or service benefits”.

Nearly 22,000 UPNL employees have been demanding regularisation and related benefits for years. Despite favourable orders from the Supreme Court, they alleged the “govt has not implemented them and has delayed framing a clear policy”. Several strikes have been held in recent years, including one in Nov 2025 that lasted around two weeks.

The personnel said they will “not sign the agreement until changes are made”. Office-bearers of the UPNL workers’ association said it would be subject to legal scrutiny and could be challenged in court. “The struggle to safeguard employees’ rights will continue,” Gusain said. They added that “leave provisions and remuneration are inadequate” despite many serving for up to two decades.