Telangana: Power utilities management urges artisans to call off strike

The Telangana Vidyut Employees Union, a faction of the State electricity employees union, called for a strike from April 25 in support of six demands for artisans in power utilities

Hyderabad: Taking serious note of Telangana Vidyut Employees Union’s decision to go on indefinite strike from Tuesday, the managements of Telangana power utilities have warned that stringent action would be initiated against employees taking part in the strike. The Telangana Vidyut Employees Union, a faction of the State electricity employees union, called for a strike from April 25 in support of six demands for artisans in power utilities.

TS Transco and Genco Chairman and Managing Director D Prabhakar Rao said strikes in all four power utilities have been prohibited for a period of six months from February 25 this year under the Telangana Essential Services Maintenance Act, hence employees going on strike would be considered illegal. Despite a memorandum of settlement signed on April 15 by power utilities managements and trade unions apart from an agreement signed on April 19 by them and the trade unions before the Joint Commissioner of Labour under the Industrial Disputes Act, the artisans deciding to go on strike was against the rule. he said.

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Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TSSPDCL) Chairman and Managing Director G Raghuma Reddy said that though power utilities were running in losses, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao accepted the demands of the employees and even provided a decent hike to artisans. He asked the artisans to call off their strike and join the duty.

Telangana Vidyut Employees union gave the strike call citing six demands, including implementation of APSEB service rules, 50 per cent PRC, 35 per cent PRC for newly-appointed artisans and recognition of all workers with identity cards as artisans.