DISCOMs postpone general transfers; employees defer relay strike in Telangana

The Telangana Employees Joint Forum has deferred its proposed relay strike after DISCOMs agreed to postpone general transfers. The decision followed protests by employee unions, who opposed untimely transfers citing inconvenience ahead of students’ academic examinations.

Hyderabad: The Telangana Employees Joint Forum has decided to defer its proposed relay strike across the State after the DISCOMs agreed to postpone the general transfers, as demanded by the employees.

Over the past few days, the forum had been up in arms against the DISCOMs over what it described as untimely transfers and the unilateral issuance of transfer guidelines.

---

The employees argued that transfers at this stage would cause severe inconvenience, as their children’s academic examinations were fast approaching. They appealed to the DISCOMs to defer the transfers until June.

Despite repeated appeals to the government, including Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao and senior officials, their representations were not considered, the forum said.

Angered by the government’s attitude, particularly that of the DISCOMs, members of TGPEJAC and TEEJAC, under the aegis of the forum, staged a massive protest at Mint Compound on Wednesday. As part of the day-long protest, the employees also boycotted official video conferences.

The forum had announced that if the government and the DISCOMs failed to consider the employees’ demands by Wednesday night, a relay strike would be launched from Thursday.

However, members of TGPEJAC and TEEJAC later said that the DISCOMs’ managements had decided to postpone the general transfers. Accordingly, the proposed relay strike has been deferred, they said.