Demanding Wage Revision and EPF to GPF Conversion
Hyderabad, March 24: Employees of a power sector protest blockade of the Vidyut Soudha, Hyderabad, staged a protest on Friday, demanding wage revision, EPF to GPF facility, and resolution of the problems faced by artisans. The Telangana state Power Employees Joint Action Committee (TSPE JAC) had called for the “Chalo Vidyut Soudha” program, and a large number of electrical workers, engineers, and artisan workers from Telangana districts and Greater Hyderabad participated. The protest resulted in a blockade of the Vidyut Soudha, with workers encamped on the road in Somajiguda. As a result, there was a severe traffic jam in the surrounding areas, including Khairatabad, Panjagutta, and NTR Marg.
The JAC leaders, Convinagar Ratnakar Rao and Chairman Saibabu, demanded immediate revision of salaries for employees, provision of GPF facility from EPF to employees appointed in power companies between 1999 to 2004, and resolution of the problems faced by artisan workers. They expressed their anger over the minimal response from management and the government, and demanded the implementation of various policies and facilities for employees, including cashless unlimited medical policy, life insurance policy of Rs.crore, and post-retirement medical facilities. They also demanded the grant of pending PLF, shift allowances, and incentives in Genco, as well as retirement guarantees and payments to EPF employees. The JAC also appealed to the government to provide HRA to electricity employees and reduce the age limit of additional quantum pension from 75 to 70 years.
The protest resulted in a severe traffic jam, with ambulance services and people on urgent work getting stuck for hours. The police were alerted, and they closed the road from Khairatabad square towards Panjagutta with barricades. After a tense situation, the JAC leaders ended the protest program, and the police forcibly removed protest cars parked on the road. All employees left the place after three in the afternoon.
