Message from Mazdur Vimarsh in response to the KEC report, “NTECL, a public sector power generating company in Tamil Nadu, operates power plant with only contract workers and refuses to make them permanent even after 12 years!” on the AIFAP website
The exploitation of contract workers at NTPC Tamil Nadu Energy Company Limited (NTECL), a joint venture of NTPC and TANGEDCO, epitomizes the ruthless capitalist agenda embedded within the supposedly public sector. By employing 1500 contract labourers for over a decade, NTECL has perpetuated a system of profit-driven exploitation, denying workers their rightful permanency and subjecting them to hazardous conditions.
The very foundation of NTECL’s operations reeks of capitalist exploitation. The decision to engage a third-party contractor, Utility Powertech Limited, was a calculated move to cut costs and maximize profits at the expense of the workers’ rights and safety. This arrangement not only undermines the dignity of labour but also exposes the callous disregard for the well-being of those operating highly hazardous machinery.
The stark disparity in wages between contract workers and their permanent counterparts is a glaring testament to the exploitative nature of capitalism. While permanent workers enjoy dignified wages, contract workers are relegated to meagre pay despite performing identical tasks. This wage disparity not only perpetuates economic inequality but also reflects the capitalist system’s inherent injustice.
Furthermore, the series of accidents resulting from the deployment of inexperienced trainee engineers underscores the perilous consequences of prioritizing profit over safety. The fires in Units 1, 2, and 3 serve as tragic reminders of the human cost of capitalist greed, as workers suffer severe injuries due to unsafe working conditions.
The protracted legal battle for permanency highlights the failure of the judicial system to uphold the rights of the working class. Despite the clear provisions of the Contract Labour Act, the courts have failed to deliver justice to the exploited workers, exposing the systemic biases that favour capital over labour.
In the face of such egregious exploitation, the struggle of NTECL workers is not just a labour dispute but a revolutionary act against capitalist oppression. Their demands for permanency and humane working conditions resonate with the broader aspirations of the working class. Majdur Vimarsh stands in solidarity with the NTECL workers and their just struggle for dignity, justice, and socialism. Their fight is our fight, and only through united class struggle can we overthrow the exploitative capitalist system and usher in a new era of worker empowerment and liberation.