The Telangana Electricity Trade Unions' Front (TETUF) has alleged that the managements of four power utilities in the State, the generational and transmission corporations and two distribution companies, are delaying absorption of over 23,000 contract and outsourced employees even after the matter has been cleared by the government.
Chairman of the front N. Padma Reddy said non-implementation of demands agreed upon in the memorandum of settlement by representatives of power utilities and TETUF resulted in reconciliation proceedings pending with the Commission of Labour, ultimately delaying absorption.
Some vested interests were trying to create obstacles in the absorption by approaching courts under the misconception that the staff being absorbed were being accorded direct post or scale, Mr. Reddy said. Absorption was only for payment of monthly wages to staff directly by the utilities without the involvement of middlemen, he said.
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He reminded the power utilities that absorption of the contract/outsourced staff was agreed upon by them only after the Chief Minister's intervention and approval. He explained that they had been fighting for absorption of staff only to prevent their exploitation by the middlemen and the process was nothing to do with regularisation of their service.
The TETUF chairman, who is also president of the Telangana Electricity Employees'’Union (1104), also requested the legal fraternity to cooperate in rendering justice to contract staff.