Tamil Nadu Electricity Board contract staff strike enters day 2

COIMBATORE: Over 1,200 contract workers of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) participated in an indefinite strike for the second consecutive day here on Saturday pressing their demands including regularization of employment.
Over 8,400 contract workers continued their strike across the state, led by president of Tamil Nadu TNEB Contract Labourers Union Muthu Pandi.
“The state government had recruited us on contract basis in 1998. In 2005, TNEB made 21,650 workers permanent and after that, it stopped regularizing employments even though hundreds of us were left behind,” said P Nagaraj, state joint secretary of the union. “We get paid only when there is work. We depend on tips from the customers. There are times when receive Rs 200 to Rs 500 per day and days without any pay. When we staged a massive protest last year, state electricity minister P Thangamani assured to provide Rs 380 as daily wage. But no steps have been taken till date.”
“Whenever a disaster took place, we were used for the restoration works. But we have been left in lurch,” Nagaraj added.