Telangana power utility staff call off stir

The staff affiliated to Telangana Vidyut Employees union and Ittehad Electricity Contract Employees union had gone on strike on Tuesday

Hyderabad: A day after managements of power utilities terminated the services of 200 artisans, the staff unconditionally called off their strike on Wednesday. There was no impact of the strike on power generation, transmission and distribution in the State, although about 20 percent abstained from duties on Tuesday.

The staff affiliated to Telangana Vidyut Employees union and Ittehad Electricity Contract Employees union had gone on strike on Tuesday.

---

TS Transco and Genco Chairman and Managing Director D Prabhakar Rao and TSSPDCL Chairman and Managing Director G Raghuma Reddy, who held discussion with AIMIM Malakpet MLA Ahmed Bin Abdullah Balala, who is heading the Itehad Electricity Contract Employees Union, and other union leaders, announced that the union has agreed to withdraw the strike unconditionally and join duty immediately.

AIMIM MLA Balala said the power utility managements had agreed to look into the demands of the artisans and resolve them at the earliest, hence the union has decided to call off the strike. The managements had also agreed to initiate the process of reinstating the 200 artisans whose services were terminated on Tuesday, he said, adding that his party would take up the issues of the artisans with the State government and try to ensure justice for them.

The power utilities had declared the strike illegal and invoked Telangana Essential Services Maintenance Act of 1971, asking the artisans to stay away from the strike. The management issued termination letters to 200 artisans who abstained from duties on Tuesday.

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.