Dhaka: Trade union leaders of the state-owned Power Development Board (PDB) are likely to announce greater agitation programmes to press for their demand that the government’s move to create three more distribution companies be suspended.

Of these three companies, the formation of North-West Zone Power Distribution Company has been completed and is now awaiting operation, while the process to form another two companies is underway.

‘We’re going to sit in a meeting on Tuesday to announce tougher action programmes as the government has not yet withdrawn its decision to create more companies,’ Zahirul Islam, president of PDB’s collective bargaining agent (CBA), told UNB on Monday.

He said leaders of all the employees’ unions and officers` associations will sit together under the banner of `Employees-officers Unity Council` to discuss the future tougher action programmes.

The CBA and officers’ associations have been on agitation programmes for the last week in protest against the government move.

On Sunday, State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid sat with the trade union and officers` association leaders but the meeting ended without reaching any understanding.

After the meeting, Nasrul Hamid told reporters that his ministry needs one or two days more for discussions to reduce the gap with the agitating employees and officers.

The CBA leader said they will wait until Tuesday for having a government decision rescinding its decision to form more companies. ‘If no decision comes by the time, we’ll announce tougher action programmes like strike and sit-in programmes,’ he said.