Standoff continues between unions, govt

- Leaders of the front say that unless government responds to their main demands, they will not call off the strike
- Demand that the government first announce additional posts in the power utilities like TS Transco and TS Genco

Hyderabad: Though Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has interfered and directed the officials to take steps to regularise the services of outsourced employees, the standoff between the government and the unions of electricity employees of Telangana with regard to the proposed strike from December 6 continues.

The talks between the leaders of the unions and Power minister G Jagadish Reddy on Friday did not yield any result. The minister has invited them for another round of meeting on Saturday. The employees’ union representatives said that they would take a decision only after the outcome of talks to be held on Saturday.

Leaders of the front said that unless government responds to their main demands, they would not call off the strike.

They said that first the government should announce additional posts in the power utilities like TS Transco and TS Genco. Front chairman Padma Reddy told The Hans India that first of all the government should create 12,000 additional posts in the utilities if it was serious about regularizing the services of the outsourced employees.

He informed that as many as 23,000 employees were working on outsourced basis in the power utilities.

There are 13,000 vacancies in them and if the entire outsourced lot is to be regularised, 12,000 additional posts need be created.