Vijayawada: Power unions to go on indefinite stir from tomorrow

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh State Power Employees Joint Action Committee (APSPEJAC) has decided to go on indefinite strike from August 10 onwards if the government doesn’t concede their demands. The APSPEJAC has already begun agitation on August 1 taking out mass rallies at circle offices, head\ quarters and zonal offices. The JAC decided to handover the SIM cards to the department on August 9 and begin indefinite strike from August 10.

The JAC issued the strike notice to the chairman and managing director, APTransco, the managing director, APGenco, the chairman and managing director, APEPDCL, Visakhapatnam, the CMD, APSPDCL, Tirupati and CMD, APCPDCL, Vijayawada.

The JAC made demands related to the staff and asking the power utilities to address their long pending problems and fulfil them.

They are seeking equal pay for equal work, direct payment and absorption in line with Telangana state power utilities in respect of contract employees. The JAC said GPF and pension facility should be provided to the employees who are recruited between February 1, 1999 and August 31, 2004 and GO MS No 121 should be implemented to the EPF holders in service on par with the CPS employees of Government of Andhra Pradesh. The JAC also demanded the same in the notice issued earlier in May 2023.

It demanded regularisation of JLM Grade II services and compassionate appointments to the dependents of the bereaved families.

Dearness Allowance since July 1, 2022, including the arrears of January 2022 should be released and the pay revision 2022 should be finalised immediately, the JAC said.

Providing cashless, unlimited medical treatment to the employees/pensioners and their dependents is one of the demands.

Recruitment should be taken up in all initial cadres of the AP power utilities and appointment by transfer (i.e. Operational and maintenance/ provisional staff to technical and non-technical posts) shall be taken up as per the regulations of in vogue. Compassionate appointments in respect of underaged and over-aged cases shall be issued.

JAC chairman P Chandrasekhar, general secretary P Prathap Reddy and convener B Sai Krishna appealed to the employees to join the strike if the government fails to concede their demands.

On the other hand, Vijayawada city police kept strict vigil near Vidyut Soudha in Gunadala on Tuesday in view of the protest announced by the AP Power Employees Joint Action Committee. DCP Vishal Gunny and other police officials monitored the bandobust near Vidyut Soudha on Tuesday.

Earlier, police commissioner Kanthi Rana Tata clearly stated that there is no permission for the protests in Vijayawada and Section-144 was being implemented in the city. He also explained that Essential Services Maintenance ACT (ESMA) is also being invoked and added that the electrical department comes under the ESMA.

He pointed out that the State government had issued orders (GORT No.54) on May 10, 2023 by banning the strikes of the employees of the APEPDCL, APSPDCL,APCPDCL and APGENCO for six months. The Police Commissioner made it clear that stringent action will be taken against the employees if they participate in the protest.