Finance secy cautions TNEB against 2.57% wage hike to employees

CHENNAI: Finance secretary

K Shanmugam

has raised objection to giving 2.57% wage hike for TNEB employees. Though all unions have broadly agreed to the 2.57% hike in salaries of 90,000 employees and 98,000 retired employees, finance secretary, in a letter to

TNEB chairman

M Saikumar, has objected to the increase as TNEB employees get wage hike every 4 years, while government employees have to wait for 10 years.

The letter, a copy of which is available with TOI, was sent to the chairman on January 24. It is in the form of an advisory to the TNEB management to consider the points raised by the finance secretary.

Giving a detailed calculation to show that there is a big gap between salaries drawn by government employees and TNEB workers, Shanmugam wanted the TNEB management to implement two wage agreements, one for the workers coming under the Industrial Disputes Act 1947 and another for officers. “Adopting 2.57% hike for TNEB employees at this point would mean that they would be in receipt of a pay hike of 2.76% and this would widen the gap in salary drawn by government and TNEB employees.

“It is high time the energy department and Tangedco chairman explored possibilities to ensure that the pay revision for officers and workers are considered under two different platforms. Officers from the level of assistant audit officer to the level of chief financial controller, including engineers must be revised only once in 10 years as that of government employees,” said the secretary.

Shanmugam also said including officers under the wage agreement every 4 years means additional expenditure which will lead to higher tariff for consumers and would also lead to enhanced subsidy to Tangedco from the government.

This is the first time the government has objected to increase in salaries of employees of TNEB. “There have been pay revision for TNEB employees every four years when DMK chief M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa were chief ministers. Such an advisory has never been sent to the TNEB management,” said Tamil Nadu Electricity Employees Development Association (LPF-affiliated) chief S Ratnasabapathy. He said the unions would not agree to the suggestions made by the finance secretary.

TNEB management is also unlikely to agree to the suggestions made by the finance secretary. Sources said the agreement to give 2.57% hike has been arrived at following negotiations between the management and the unions. The only issue which is pending is the decision on work load to be fixed for each employee. Going back on the commitment given to TNEB employees would open Pandora’s box, said an official.