70% power utility staff join strike in city

According to Mohan Sharma,working president of the Maharashtra State Electricity Workers Federation,around 60-70,000 employees owing allegiance to various workers’ unions participated.

Devram Kothare,deputy general secretary of the Pune unit of the workers’ federation said that the urban circle saw a partial representation of the staff in the strike.

While aggrieved citizens like M Nair from Shastrinagar at Yeravada said that there was no supply,when contacted S P Nagtilak,chief engineer of the Pune division of MSEDCL said that by and large the power supply was regular at all areas.

The stir was called particularly by the Nagpur and Aurangabad divisions against the MSEDCL decision to invite private companies/franchisees to conduct the distribution and billing work.

The MSEDCL had warned of stringent action against those employees who were participating in the token strike on February 23.

In a statement issued here,the MSEDCL has said that the proposed strike is illegal as the dispute between the employees and the administration has been referred to the deputy labour commissioner as per the provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act and the next meeting in this connection is scheduled to be held on March 4.

The decision of the employees to resort to strike when talks are pending is therefore wrong and unjustified,the statement said.