Telangana power artisans continue strike despite warning

Artisans of Telangana’s power utilities continued their strike despite warnings from TG TRANSCO and TG GENCO. Protesting at GTS Colony, they demanded employee conversion, wage implementation and service rule enforcement, even as authorities threatened termination and withdrew medical benefits.

Hyderabad: Many artisans continued their strike despite the Telangana Power Generation Corporation Limited directing them to call off the strike and join duties by 11 a.m. on Thursday.

At the TG GENCO office, GTS Colony here, the artisans, including women, continued their protest amid the scorching heat. Holding placards and raising slogans, the artisans demanded that the government address their long-pending demands. “The government has to address our long-pending demands. We will not give up till our demands are agreed,” an artisan at GTS Colony said.

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Though there have been reports that a few artisans had joined duties in Rangareddy, others are continuing their strike. The artisans had launched their strike on April 8 in support of their demands.

Their demands include employee conversion based on educational qualifications, implementation of the APSEB service rules to the artisans, unmanned workers in TGNPDCL and TGSPDCL to be absorbed as artisans, implementation of PRC, and piece rate workers should be given minimum wages as per GOMS 11 in the power utilities.

Citing the Telangana Essential Services Maintenance Act, the TG TRANSCO had issued a final notice to the artisans directing them to join duties by 11 a.m., failing which they would be terminated from service without any further notice.

Prior to this, the officials had also decided to stop medical facilities to the artisans and their dependents. The station heads were directed to send the medical credit cards and reimbursement bills of artisans who were not participating in the strike. Despite all these pressure tactics, the artisans continued their strike.