Press Note of Maharashtra State Electricity Employees, Engineers, Officers Action Committee
Electricity workers in Maharashtra—including contract and outsourcing workers—have started a militant 72-hour strike against the various ways in which the state government is privatizing the power sector. In their press note, they have also highlighted how while the number of consumers has increased, the number of workers has not increased proportionately; in fact, there are thousands of vacancies in the state, which has led to extreme burden on existing workers. Workers have called upon consumers and the general public to support their just strike.
Maharashtra State Electricity Employees, Engineers, Officers Action Committee
Mumbai – Press Note – Date 9.10.2025
Electricity workers on strike from 9 October
Electricity workers on strike for the benefit of electricity consumers and public in the state
The Action Committee of Maharashtra’s electricity workers, engineers, officers has decided to go on strike for the following reasons: to oppose granting of licenses to private capitalists like Adani, Toronto etc. for electricity distribution in profitable zones of Mahavitaran Company; to oppose restructuring of Mahavitaran Company, reduction of workers, handing over of 329 power substations to private contractors, privatization of 4 hydroelectric power stations of Mahanirmiti Company; to oppose the grant of projects worth Rs. 200 crore to private companies of Mahapareshan Company, listing of transmission company in the stock market; to demand implementation of pension scheme for electricity employees, fixing of eight hours of work for line and other employees, filling of vacant posts with reservation for backward classes; to demand a strategic decision to make contract workers permanent, and to resolve other pending problems of employees of all three electricity companies after the salary increase agreement.
Considering the increased number of electricity consumers in the Mahavitaran Company, branches, sub-divisions and divisional offices should be created to provide better service to electricity consumers, Mahavitaran Company should receive money for every unit of electricity sold and increase revenue, and electricity consumers should get cheap electricity. The strike does not have any financial demands from the employees, engineers, officers and contract workers.
In 2021, the total number of consumers in the state was 2 crore 89 lakh, and the total number of subdivisions was 638. Although the total number of employees was 81,696, the management of Mahavitaran did not create an organizational structure as per the diagram prepared by the company. Due to this, the workload of employees and engineers has increased tremendously. This has affected the electricity customer service. By 2025, the number of electricity customers has increased by 3 crores. However, there are only 648 subdivisions to serve the increased electricity customers. The approved posts of employees and engineers in this department are 81,900. Many of the approved posts are being filled by recruiting workers on a contractual basis.
There are a large number of branches and sub-divisions with lakhs of electricity consumers in Maharashtra, but the MSEDCL management has done nothing to set up a new system. The action committee demands that in order to provide proper, prompt and efficient service to the increased number of customers, the management should first create branch and sub-division offices. Eight-hour working hours of employees should be fixed. The necessary employees should be filled as per the revised work rules, and then sub-divisions for maintenance and billing work should be created. All 22,000 vacant posts of technical, non-technical workers and engineers should be filled, and there should be reservation for backward classes. A strategic decision should be taken to regularize contract workers. Since the administration is not discussing pending demands after the wage hike agreement and the unilateral implementation of restructuring in MSEDCL, there has been immense dissatisfaction among workers, engineers and officers.
On October 6, a discussion was held with the Hon. Upper Chief Secretary Energy and Hon. Chairman and Managing Director of Mahavitaran Company. As decided in that discussion, it was necessary to provide written minutes to the trade unions. However, due to changes in the minutes provided, the trade unions in the Action Committee were forced to take the decision of organizing a 72-hour strike from October 9, 2025.
The strike being held by electricity workers’ union is not for any financial demand but to provide proper and prompt service to electricity consumers, to oppose the privatization of the public electricity industry and to ensure that electricity consumers have access to electricity at cheap rates. It is being held for this purpose. The Maharashtra State Electricity Workers’ Federation, Maharashtra Vij Kamgar Mahasangh, Subordinate Engineers Association, Maharashtra Rajya Vij Kamgar Congress (INTUC), Maharashtra Rajya Magasvargiya Vidyut Karmachari, Maharashtra Rajya Swabhimani Vidyut Workers’ Union, Tantrik Kamgar Union (5059) are calling upon the people and electricity consumers of the state to cooperate in this strike.
Yours sincerely,
Maharashtra State Electricity Employees, Engineers, Officers, Action Committee