Trade unions raise red flag over outsourcing of IT wing

CHENNAI: Trade unions in TANGEDCO have raised apprehension over the safety of the personal data of consumers and workers if the utility goes ahead with its plan to outsource its information technology wing.

“There are over 3.10 crore consumers in the TANGEDGO including domestic, agricultural and industries. The TANGEDCO’s IT Wing handles all their details. We are opposed to handing over such sensitive data to private companies with scope for misuse,” said S Rajendran, general secretary of the Central Organisation of Tamil Nadu Electricity Employees. He was addressing a press conference along with various unions affiliated with the Joint Action Committee of Tamil Nadu Electricity Board Trade Unions over their waiting protest on July 20.

When asked about how it would invade the privacy of consumers, he said that the consumers' data including their mobile phone numbers could be illegally sold to agencies for the advertisement purpose. “An errant private employee can even misuse the data to cheat the consumers. Already the police and TANGEDCO have warned the consumers about the fake SMS to consumers to pay electricity charges dues,” he warned.

He also said that the outsourcing of the maintenance and operation of the substations continues in the present DMK government as well. “Now orders for outsourcing 25 substations in Tiruchi and Tirunelveli operations circles were issued,” he said, adding that TANGEDCO also planned to go for end-to-end outsourcing of the operation of the upcoming North Chennai Supercritical Thermal Power STation - III which is expected to be commissioned by end of this year.

JAC urged TANGEDCO to take steps to fill up 56,000 vacancies and also initiate talks on wage revision which is pending from December 2019.