Electricity JAC calls strike from Jan 27

Ongole: The Andhra Pradesh Electricity Contract Employees Joint Action Committee announced that they would go on a strike from January 27 with demands that the state government pay equal salaries for equal work by the contract employees and regularise contract employees, in a phased manner.

The Ongole division JAC leaders participated in the lunch hour protest and submitted a memorandum to the Divisional Engineer on Wednesday.

The AP Electricity Contract Employees JAC chairman in Ongole, A Siva Nageswara Rao, said that about 23000 contract employees are currently employed for AP Transco, Genco and Distribution companies in the state. He said that as per the call given by the state JAC, the employees are going into indefinite strike from January 27 for the reddressal of their demands. 

“Our demands include equal pay for equal work as per the supreme court orders, regularization of contract employees considering the experience and age. We also demand payment of an ex gratia of Rs 20 lakhs for the family of worker who dies on duty and offer job to his family members, offer job protection to bill collectors and meter readers and drop the idea of introducing service outsourcing in the department,” he explained.