Talks between electricity unions, power utilities managements fail
Hyderabad: The talks between electricity employee unions front and the managements of power utilities of the State held on Tuesday failed and the employees have decided to go on agitation from Wednesday.
They would hold a dharna in front of the Telangana Southern Power Distribution Company office on Wednesday and another one would be held on October 23 at the Northern Power Distribution Company office.
Speaking to The Hans India, president of Telangana Electricity Trade Unions Front (TETUF) chairman T Padma Reddy said that the talks have failed, and they have decided to go on with the agitation programme as planned.
He said that the deadlock in the talks came in the form of refusal of the management on applying APSEB rules to the artisans of the power distribution companies. He said that the demand for regularisation of services of artisans has been rejected.
He said the management said that it was not possible to apply rules of APSEB, the government electricity department which existed prior to 2003, to artisans, standing orders would be applied to them, basic pay would be provided, other facilities would be provided soon, VDA would be provided in the place of DA and jobs would be given to the heirs of deceased employees.
Padma Reddy said that joint managing director of Transco Srinivas Rao has informed that the issue of providing EPF and GPF to electricity employees would be taken up with Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao.
He said that they have refused the proposals of the management and said that they have come for the talks with a hope of finding a solution. But they were disappointed with the attitude of the management.
Padma Reddy said that they would go ahead with the proposed dharna in front of the SPDCL office on Wednesday.
The TUF leaders have held a meeting at their office after the failure of the talks with the management and decided to go on with the agitation.
The Telangana Electricity Trade Unions Front comprises of 21 unions of the employees. The front includes casual and the regular employees. They have been demanding better service rules.
The employees said that they wanted the service rules being implemented during the period of Andhra Pradesh State Electricity Board.
The Board has been disbanded in 2003 and in its place Transmission Corporation, Generation Corporation and Distribution Companies have been stated. However, the service rules of the APSEB have not been applied to the successor organisation employees.