Subordinate engineers of state power board agitate against management

THANE: The Subordinate Engineers' Association (SEA) of the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB) including, Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL), Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Co. Ltd (MSETCL), and Maharashtra State Power Generation Co. Ltd (MAHGENCO) has launched a state-wide agitation since the management has not fulfilled their long standing demands.
"The engineers have refused to work from Monday, November 29 until their nine points demands are fulfilled," informed Sunil Khatale, joint secretary, SEA of the Bhandup Zone.
Khatale added, "Since Monday, we have stopped conducting drives against power thefts and defaulters. Besides, recovery and other official work have been stalled." He warned that from November 30, the engineers may resort to a flash strike anytime if their demands are not fulfilled. He revealed that the call for a flash strike is confidential and it would be decided by the prime office bearers of the central working committee including the general secretary and the organising secretary. "It would be disclosed only five minutes before the strike call," he said.
They have alleged that Ajoy Mehata, the managing director is singling them out to attract public sympathy as a policy decision. "Although the MSEDCL has given two increments to the employees (linesmen) and monetary benefits to the executive and superintendent engineers, the SEAs are being constantly harassed and demoralised by the management with false promises," said Khatale.
Union members said that over 13 lakh consumers in Thane and Raigad districts including Thane, Vashi, Panvel, Taloja, would be hit by the announcement by the SEA. Around 12,000 engineers, including 300 from the Bhandup Zone and 150 from the Navi Mumbai circle have participated in the agitation.
According to the notice served to the management of the three companies by Dilip Pawar, general secretary of SEA under section 22(1) of the Industrial Dispute Act, 1947, the decision was taken at a meeting held at the zonal meeting held at Bhuswal on November 28. The notice states that since the demands were not conceded within stipulated period of the notice, the SEA has commenced an agitation from Nov 29.
Khatale maintained that prior to the strike call, they had undertaken a four course agitation programme and had warned the management, but they failed to pay heed.
"We cannot put a definite number on the loss amount right away, but there are bound to be huge losses to the board if they go on strike," a senior MSEDCL official told Thane Plus.
An official from the chairman office said that there have been reports of disruption in transmission and distribution of power from some parts of Maharashtra during their earlier strike. However, they will try to break the stalemate and see that both transmission as well as generation would not be hit.
The unions, however, claim that MSEB alone would be suffering of at least Rs 5 crore per day due to the strike. The figure will rise once the losses incurred by the industry are added.
Talks between the unions, the MD and the MSEB failed on Nov 15. Unions insisted that the government assured that
they would fulfill their commitment given last year.
"We fear that the State government will hand over hydro power transmission and generation to private players and this will mean a hike in tariffs," said Kathale.
The management has, however, refuted the allegation and said that the State would honour all their demands once the MSEDCL records revenue over Rs 2500 crore per month.