Demanding the TANGEDCO chairman-cum-managing director (CMD)to hold talks with all the trade union representatives with regard to the vacancies and other issues, the employees and engineers from various associations came under a common umbrella to voice their just demands here on Wednesday.
The Joint Action Committee of Electricity Employees and Engineers staged a demonstration in front of the District Collectorate. Labour Progressive Federation secretary V. C. Mohan presided. R Guruvel, state vice-president of CITU addressed the gathering. About 500 members including women employees and officers participated.
The members said that TANGEDCO should immediately stop issuing orders for private companies to maintain some sub-stations and HT lines in the State. “This unilateral decision of the CMD may affect the Corporation in the long run,” they said.
At a time when the TANGEDCO had been serving three crore consumers across the State despite several limitations, it was unfair to give the upkeep of some sub-stations to private people. For a long time, the grievances to fill vacancies has also not been redressed, they charged.
The government should direct the TANGEDCO management to involve the trade union representatives in all major decisions as any rift between them would affect the consumers, they apprehended.
Dindigul
In Dindigul, close to 800 employees staged a demonstration in front of the TANGEDCO office here at Meenakshi Naickenpatti. The members raised slogans against the management and urged that bonus should be given to all contract workers too. They wanted the vacancies numbering above 40,000 across the State to be filled as early as possible.
The employees said that they would not remain mere spectators to the moves of TANGEDCO to privatise electricity distribution. For the last 63 years, the electricity department has been rendering yeomen services to the people of TN and despite limitations, they have been fulfilling the expectations of the customers.
Under such circumstances, the TANGEDCO should immediately withdraw the move to give maintenance works of some sub-stations to the private sector, they stressed.
A trade union representative said that all the employees and officers had taken a day’s casual leave on Wednesday to participate in the demonstration. As a result, many TANGEDCO offices in the district remained shut and routine activities were hit, he added.
