The AITUC-affiliated Kerala Electricity Workers’ Federation (KEWF) has protested against the government’s decision to form three companies in place of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) without discussions with trade unions.
In a statement here on Friday, federation president A.N. Rajan said the decision was against the assurance the Chief Minister and the Electricity Minister had given the trade unions.
‘No commitment’
The government had given no commitment to the unions regarding the protection of salaries, service conditions, pensions, and pay revision while transferring the assets and liabilities of KSEB to the new companies.
Joint stir
He called upon all unions in KSEB to launch a joint agitation to force the government to withdraw the decision.
In a separate statement, AITUC State general secretary Kanam Rajendran said the unbundling of State public sector power utilities, as dictated by the Electricity Act of 2003, had brought more harm than good to the power sector in the other States.
Cross subsidy
It had led to the discontinuation of the cross-subsidy system under which the economically weak consumers got power at lower rates. Power tariffs had gone up in such States.
