Workers led by Andhra Pradesh Electricity Contract Employees Joint Action Council (APECEJAC) on Monday warned the Discom that they would go on an indefinite strike, if their plights were not addressed at the earliest.
The workers staged a protest here to highlight their plights. “With meagre wages, no job security and step-motherly treatment, lives of contract workers working with the Electricity Department have practically remained unchanged for the past one decade,” lamented K. Sitaram, Chairman of Andhra Pradesh Electricity Contract Employees Joint Action Council (APECEJAC).
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He maintained that contract employees had been struggling with several issues, including those who had completed 15 years of their service. “We, skilled workers, are getting salaries less than that of semi-skilled labourers. Our salaries have remained the same for the past four years and wage revision was accorded to only regular employees,” he added.
Speaking on the job security issues, Mr. Sitaram said the management could remove them any time. “If we opt out of the services voluntarily for which we have to give a month’s prior notice, whereas the management can remove us any time,” he said.
Criticising the third-party system, Mr. Sitaram demanded that the government eliminated the method as it would put an additional burden of nearly 50 per cent on the department.
APECEJAC State Convenor Kasi Madhubabu stressed on ‘equal work – equal pay’ policy and demanded that the contract workers be regularised. “The employees are going through several hardships, including working on holidays. Their trust on the department should not be diluted with such negligent attitude towards welfare of workers,” he said.
Later, the employees took out a rally from the Indira Maidanam to the Corporate Office and submitted a memorandum to the Chairman and Managing Director of the Southern Discom. The employees also said that they would hold similar demonstrations in Visakhapatnam (December 8) and Vijayawada (December 15).
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