Report received from Maharashtra State Electricity Employees, Engineers, Officers Sangharsh Samiti
Maharashtra State Electricity Employees, Engineers, Officers Sangharsh Samiti
Mumbai 02.01.2023
Discussions with the Principal Energy Secretary and the presidents of the three companies and officials of the Sangharsh Samiti failed. 72-hour strike is inevitable.
Today, on 2 January 2023, a meeting of the 31 organisations of the Sangharsh Samiti with the Principal Energy Secretary of the Government of Maharashtra and the Chairman and Managing Director of the three companies and other officers was held at Prakashgad, Bandra (east), from 4 pm to 5.30 pm regarding the agitation and strike called by the Sangharsh Samiti. At the beginning of the meeting, the office bearers of the organizations participating in the Sangharsh Samiti expressed their displeasure that the government and administration did not take cognizance of the protest and strike notice submitted a month and half ago and stated discontent that such a policy is not right on the part of the government and the administration.
In fact, the administration should have called the trade unions for a discussion earlier and explained their role, but this was not done. As the strike is against the policy of the government, it was necessary to hold this meeting at the level of the Energy Minister. Because this was not done, great dissatisfaction has been created among the workers. This was also explained on behalf of the trade unions. The huge march on the Nagpur Legislative Assembly and the Thane Collectorate should be noted as a demonstration of dissatisfaction.
We will never tolerate a private capitalist like Adani seeking license for parallel distribution of power in profitable regions of the Mahavitran company. Similarly, the Sangharsh Samiti will not tolerate any form of privatization in the other two companies. The organizations involved in the Sangharsh Samiti demand that this industry has been built for the people and the industry should remain owned by the people. There are no financial or other demands of the employees during the 72-hour strike. The Sangharsh Samiti has called this protest to protect the interests of electricity consumers and to keep the concessions they get intact. In the meeting, the Sangharsh Samiti demanded that the government and the administration clarify their position in this regard.
Principal Energy Secretary Smt. Abha Shukla after hearing the statement of the Sangharsh Samiti clarified that the government and the administration agreed with the statement of the trade unions. However, no clear and concrete assurance has been given that the power companies will not be privatized in any way. The Principal Energy Secretary only said that I will present my position in front of the Energy Minister of the state. They also did not make any appeal to the Sangharsh Samiti to call off the strike.
As the discussion with the Sangharsh Samiti failed, the meeting of the Sangharsh Samiti was immediately held at the same place and all the organizations participating in the Sangharsh Samiti unanimously decided to go on strike for 72 hours from 00.00 hours on 4th January.
Important notice regarding strike:-
1) 100% employees, engineers, officers and contract workers and security guards should participate in the strike from head offices to branch offices, generation centers, sub-centers.
2) Sub-center assistants, electrical assistants, junior office assistants, trainee engineers, apprentices and village electricity assistants should all participate in the strike. Even the employees who went on strike today are not exempted. If action is taken against anyone, Sangharsh Samiti will stand by them.
3) On January 3, 2023, gate meetings should be held to make the strike successful.
4) Since all the organizations involved in the Sangharsh Samiti were unanimous about the demand that contract workers of the three companies should be regularised, it was decided to send a separate letter to the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister.
5) The Sangharsh Samiti is strongly opposed to stopping power generation during the strike, causing temporary breakdowns in substations, deliberately interrupting power supply, or doing anything that will cause trouble to the electricity consumers. The Sangharsh Samiti will not support such persons at all. The members and office bearers of the organizations participating in the Sangharsh Samiti should not do anything that will cause trouble to the general public and electricity consumers.
6) While participating in the strike, you should give your charge to the concerned senior officer with prior notice before the start of the strike.
7) This strike is for the benefit of electricity consumers. To convince them, thousands of circulars prepared on behalf of Sangharsh Samiti should be distributed. Various newspapers, news channels and social media should be used to convince the public that the electricity workers’ strike is in the interest of the public and electricity consumers.
8) All kinds of pressure will be put by the government and administration before and after the strike. In the event that rumors are spread, all such matters should be brought to the notice of the President and General Secretary of the organizations participating in the Sangharsh Samiti.
9) No one shall give unauthorized information to the media except the leadership of the organizations participating in the Sangharsh Samiti.
10) The control room of the chief office bearers of Sangharsh Samiti has been established and action should be taken during the strike as per instructions.
Yours sincerely,
Maharashtra State Electricity Employees, Engineers, Officers Sangharsh Samiti