Regularise Tangedco staff, skip new recruitment: Trade union

Tangedco has called for the application for the post of gangman from persons with a minimum qualification up to Class 5. In March, Tangedco created 5,000 new posts of gangman. “In the view of overgrowing demand in the supply of electricity to new homes, establishment, factories and companies, initial level field workers are required to carry out a lot of ground works like digging, erection of poles and allied non-technical works and also during a natural disaster. Due to shortage of hands, the Chief Engineer (Personnel) has proposed for creation of 5,000 new posts of gangman,” the Tangedco proceeding said.

The Central Organisation of Tamil Nadu Electricity Employees, affiliated to CITU, had moved the Madras High Court as it goes against the agreement signed between the management and the trade unions. “There are over 20,000 vacancies in Tangedco. We have been demanding that 8,000 contract workers who have been in the service for the last eight to ten years to be appointed as the field assistants,” said COTEE President SS Subramanian.

He, however, said that Tangedco has decided to create a new post called gangman (trainee).

As per the agreement reached under the section of 12(3) in the Industrial Disputes Act, the field workers are defined to do certain works. But the management has created a new post called gangman to do the same work. The management should hold talks with the union if they make any changes to it. Hence, we moved the Madras High Court against the it,” he said.

A senior Tangedco official dismissed the union claim of 8,000 contract workers saying that the board did not engage any worker on contract basis. “When there were no contract workers engaged by us, where is the question of regularising it?” the official said.