India : Tangedco refutes claims by contract workers' union
Tamil Nadu Distribution and Generation Corporation (Tangedco) Superintending Engineer N. Sekar has clarified that the organisation had not deployed any person on contract for carrying out maintenance or repair works
in the electricity supply lines.
“However, we give ‘work contracts’ for erection of posts and line extension works which is accorded after floating tenders. Anybody claiming to be on contract worker deployed by Tangedco are baseless”, he toldThe Hindu.
Mr. Sekar’s version came close on the heels of the indefinite strike called by 110 contract workers, who carry out electricity line works demanding immediate solatium to the family of those who died in harness while carrying out maintenance/repair works on electricity distribution lines and offsetting of the medical expenses incurred to treat the linemen, who got injured while executing official work.
However, A. Saravanan, secretary of Contract Workers Union claimed that they were deployed on contract wages by Tangedco.
“The officials might be quoting the rule book. But what happens in reality is that they are deploying people on wages to carry out specified works on wages from time to time”, he said.
Mr. Saravanan also said they got a favourable court order in 2013 to get all the linemen doing contract works into permanent payroll in Tangedco.