Telangana power staff warn of protests over long-pending grievances
Telangana Electricity Employees' Union has raised alarm over unresolved staff issues, warning of possible protests and service disruption. Despite assurances from a July meeting, only one of 25 flagged concerns has seen progress, fuelling unrest among field workers.
Hyderabad: Growing frustration among Telangana’s power sector employees, with workload pressure mounting and genuine demands left unaddressed, is building a stand-off with the management. The trade unions fighting for the benefits of the staff have sounded a caution that the situation may spark disruption of services affecting consumers across the State.
Telangana Electricity Employees’ Union (TEE 1104), has demanded immediate resolution of over two dozen long-pending issues affecting employees. In a memorandum addressed to the Chairman and Managing Director of TG Transco, the union warned of potential protests if the pressing issues of the staff remained ignored for long.
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The Union General Secretary G. Sai Babu accused the management of inaction despite assurances from a high-level meeting earlier this year. The union’s grievances were discussed on July 1 at a high-level meeting at Vidyut Soudha and 25-30 items were flagged for further “examination”.
Nearly four months later, only one issue has seen some progress, fuelling widespread unrest among field staff.
“Employees are agitated and expressing resentment,” the letter stated. Key demands include transitioning EPF subscribers to GPF and revised pensions for those hired between 1999 and 2004, aligning with government norms, scrapping the 5% ceiling on compassionate appointments for medical invalidations and hiking gratuity for EPF holders from Rs 16 lakh to Rs 20 lakh.
Other pressing concerns involved among other things -promotions long overdue across cadres, sanctioning of additional posts, filling of vacancies, and removal of EPF contribution cap at Rs 15,000. The union also seeks rectification of pay anomalies for those who joined post-2022, medical facilities for retired EPF holders, and fixing of seniority for artisans.
Further, it called for implementing a 2018 order for 1991-92 batch junior linemen and lower division clerks, and withdrawing screening tests for junior assistants and sub-engineers opting instead for multiple-choice questions, as previously agreed but unimplemented.
The union said the issues were endorsed by Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka following representations made by elected representatives including MPs, MLAs, and MLCs on January 4 this year. They sought steps for withdrawing a 2013 pay anomaly that allegedly violates seniority rules.
