Policies on power generation and distribution should be people-oriented and not profit-oriented, said A. K. Padmanabhan, all-India president of the Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU).
Delivering the inaugural address at 15th State conference of Central Organisation of Tamil Nadu Electricity Employees (COTEE-CITU) that began here on Saturday Mr. Padmanabhan said that policies on generation and distribution of power were aimed at only making profit and the unions were fighting against it to make them people-oriented.
“Trade unions in general and CITU in particular are fighting for minimum wage policy in power sector. The government has evolved several policies since independence, but still there is no wage policy. Contract labour system is a cruel form of exploitation. COTEE has a legacy for waging a relentless fight for abolishing contract labour system,” he said and added that there were still 10,000 contract labourers in the electricity board.
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“The contract system and outsourcing has become omnipresent across public sector companies. Hence the need for COTEE to continue with its fight,” Mr. Padmanabhan said.
Electricity Act 2003 had undone the previous power policy drafted by great minds like Dr. B. R. Ambedkar and turned the power sector upside down. When the Act was introduced in parliament the union proposed amendments to every section knowing well that they would be defeated as ruling party and opposition joined hands. “Since then we have been fighting against the Act. Now we are fight against the 2014 amendment bill to the Act which would be detrimental to the interests of farmers and small industries,” Mr. Padmanabhan said.
When the BJP government in Haryana attempted to privatise services of profit-making sub-divisions of State owned electricity companies, the workers and engineers struck work. Though the government invoked Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), the employees forced the government to come for negotiation. Attempts to privatise the services were put on hold. “That might be temporary. But a victory at these trying times should help boost the morale,” he added.
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He wanted the trade unions across the sectors to forge an alliance and oppose the anti-people policies of the government. He was critical of trade unions and said that they were not focusing their energy to oppose the violence unleashed against vulnerable sections.
COTEE president K. Vijayan, general secretary S. S. Subramanian, vice president S. Anandan were among those present.