TNEB contract employees seek direct payment of salaries

“There are over 10,000 contract workers and the government should identify them as they are getting low salaries. They should be relieved from contractors and salaries should be paid to them directly,” said Dayalan, a CITU representative to DT Next.

The contract workers staged protest across the state. In Chennai, they staged protest near Tarapore towers on Anna Salai. Theprotest turned into a road roko and police had to clear them using force.

In the protest they raised slogans demanding the government to give Rs 380 as salary per day and to make them permanent employees. “Under the contract system contractor gets a share of the salary of the TNEB workers and do not provide them ESI and PF, which are mandatory,” said Dayalan.

He also said that based on the recommendations of Khalid Commission report, 18,000 contract workers were made permanent. But still 10,000 people are left out. The contract workers are essential to TNEB as they are the people who are involved in basic works such as repairing the underground cable works and their work is essential for maintaining the day to day affairs of TNEB, said Dayalan.

The protesters alsodemanded the TNEB to fill the vacant posts with contract workers.