Smart meter stir unites DMK, AIADMK unions

CHENNAI: In an unprecedented move, trade unions affiliated to the DMK and AIADMK have joined hands to oppose the TVK government’s smart meter project, proposed public-private partnership (PPP) projects in power generation and transmission, and fixed-term employment, issuing a strike notice warning of an indefinite walkout after Nov 2 if their demands are not met.

The Tamil Nadu Electricity Board Trade Unions’ Joint Action Committee, comprising 17 unions, including the DMK-affiliated Labour Progressive Federation (LPF), AIADMK-affiliated Anna Thozhir Sanga Peravai and CITU-affiliated Central Organisation of Tamil Nadu Electricity Employees (COTEE), announced a series of protests against the government’s proposals.

The unions alleged that the smart meter project would adversely affect poor households, farmers, and traders, and curtail employment opportunities for young people.

They demanded the withdrawal of the smart meter tender and urged the government to abandon its plan to implement power generation and transmission projects under the PPP model, insisting that these should remain under public ownership.

As part of the agitation, demonstrations will be held in front of executive engineers’ offices across the state on Oct 12, 13 and 14.

Chennai-based union branches will hold a separate demonstration in front of the electricity board headquarters on Anna Salai at 5.20 pm on Oct 13.

Further protests are scheduled in front of superintending engineers’ offices across all electricity circles on Oct 15. The unions will also organise public outreach campaigns across electricity circles from Oct 26 to 31.

The committee warned that all electricity board employees would go on strike after Nov 2 if the government failed to address their demands.

Apart from opposing the smart meter project and the proposed privatisation of power generation and transmission through the PPP model, the unions demanded the withdrawal of the five-year fixed-term employment system and the filling of existing vacancies.

They also sought parity with government employees in retirement gratuity and family welfare benefits.

The unions demanded that the gratuity ceiling be raised from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 25 lakh for electricity board employees, effective from Jan 1, 2024, in line with the benefit extended to government employees.

They further sought an increase in the family welfare fund from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, with retrospective effect from Sept 1, 2021, instead of Dec 20, 2024, the date from which the benefit was made applicable to electricity board employees.

The committee also demanded the withdrawal of Board Proceedings No. 2 dated April 12, 2022, and urged unions across all electricity circles to coordinate the protests and ensure the success of the agitation.