Electricity Employees Federation of India

Electrcity Employees Federation of India(EEFI)

Electricity Employees Federation of India was formed to organise workers/ employees engaged in generation transmission, maintenance, project construction and distribution of electricity all over India, and to foster spirit of co-operation, fraternity and reciprocity among all workers employed in the electricity industry.

Being India's largest power sector employees organisation it strongly opposes the anti people and anti working class policies followed by the government. EEFI is a very important power sector organisation having a remarkable experience of struggle. Now keeping in view of fast changing circumstances and harsh onslaught of economic policies EEFI has achieved more importance. Electricity being very important core sector and mother of all industries, the Electricity Employees Federation has got champion role to play.

Next issue of Voice of Electricity Workers will be published by 20th August 2010.

                     ELECTRICITY EMPLOYEES FEDERATION OF INDIA
             B.T. RANADIVE BHAWAN, 13-A, ROUSE AVENUE, NEW DELHI -2
         TELEFAX: 23219670 E-mail:eefi@bol.net.in,eefederation@gmail.com
                website www.eefi.org

Circular No.28/10                   29 July, 2010

                                   C O N D O L E N C E

ON BEHALF OF PRESIDENT AND GENERAL SECRETARY OF EEFI FOLLOWING CONDOLENCE MESSAGE HAS BEEN SENT :

WE CONVEY OUR DEEP RESPECT TO HIM & SOLACE TO HIS BEREAVED FAMILY AS WELL HIS INNUMERABLE COMRADES OF PSEB.


Prasanta N Chowdhury                             K O Habib
General Secretary                  President

ELECTRICITY EMPLOYEES FEDERATION OF INDIA
B.T. RANADIVE BHAWAN, 13-A, ROUSE AVENUE, NEW DELHI -2
TELEFAX: 23219670 E-mail: eefederation@gmail.com, info@eefi.org
website www.eefi.org

Circular No.: 10/26      Date: 18.05.2010

CIRCULAR

To : All affiliated & Associated Unions and Associations
Sub: Brief proceedings and resolutions of Working Committee Meeting Dated 15th May, 2010

The extended meeting of the Working Committee took place at Thriruvanthapuram on 15th May, 2010. Meeting was chaired by President Com. K.O. Habib. The meeting paid homage to martyrs and two electricity workers of West Bengal, who were killed by Maoists-TMC nexus. The working committee greeted comrades of PSEB for their valiant struggle against unbundling of PSEB and condemned Government of Punjab for declaring war against the workers and employees of PSEB while they resorted to strike on 15th & 16th April, 2010.

Com P N Chowdhury, General Secretary formally placed the written Report and Draft Charter of Demand circulated before the meeting. Statement of accounts, Voice & affiliation dues was placed by Com S S Subrammanum, Treasurer. Report dealt the grim power situation as well obnoxious game plan of the power planners and operating authorities. He drew the attention of the Working Committee members to the energy trading business at high cost in the name of energy exchange. Public Sector company like NTPC also are going to take part in this game keeping untied power beyond the allocated share to states.

Eleven working committee members took part in the discussion to enrich the report with valuable suggestions and reported important development of the state organisations and movements including problems of the electricity industry. Members of the working committee also contributed to improve the charter of demands. Working Committee members appreciated the venture taken by the EEFI Centre for conducting TU school and comrades of Kerala who hosted the TU school as a maiden initiative since EEFI was formed in the same city of Thiruvananthapuram. Comrades of Hindi speaking states suggested another TU school should be conducted with the participation of Hindi speaking comrades covering Northern, Eastern and North-Eastern region. Working Committee members expressed their thankfulness to Com. M.K. Pandhe, Tapan Sen, Swadesh Dev Roye and K.O. Habib for their presentation in the TU class.

Com. K. O. Habib in his Presidential speech at the conclusion of the working committee meeting requested all the organizations to be prepared for wider form of movement in the days to come not only in the power sector. EEFI constituents are to adopt broader steps for the wider mass movement under preparation all over the country against anti-people policies of the UPA government at the Centre and Congress-BJP – right reactionary government in the states.

Decisions of the Working Committee meeting:

1.   Working Committee accepted the draft Charter of Demands with necessary addition, alteration. This draft will be democratically discussed by each of the constituent organization of EEFI as wider as possible and to be finally adopted by the working committee in the next meeting with the suggestions of constituent organisations. Charter of Demand should include the issue of prioritization of sources depending upon indigenous availability. Government of India’s policy of fuel pricing on import parity basis should be objected to through our charter of demand. EEFI Centre will discuss the issues of the Charter of Demand with other national level federation of Electricity Industry to arrive at a consensus before submission of the demands to union government. Once the charter of demand is finalized – we shall have to organize rally at Delhi to press the government for settlement of the demand.
2.   TU school for Hindi speaking as well Northern, Eastern as well North-Eastern states will be conducted after the monsoon months. Comrades of Haryana union will be requested to host the TU school at any suitable place near Delhi.

Draft Charter of Demands of Electricity Employees Federation of India for discussion in the General Body of the EEFI constituents

1)    Electricity Act, 2003 should be further reviewed towards amendment of the Clauses not commensurating with federal structure of union of India as well Right to Electricity for poor people of India. Performance of electricity utilities is to be reviewed in the light of tariff structure, consumer benefit, loss reduction and poor peoples access to electricity.
2)    National Wage policy for the Electricity Employees should be declared subject to minimum wage prescribed by 6th Pay Commission for Central Government Employees.
a)    Standing wage guideline should be prescribed at national level in consultation with National Federations of Electricity Employees.
b)    Contract / Casual Workers should be paid wages equivalent to similar category of regular employees.
3)    Minimum standard for maintenance of electricity generation, transmission and distribution installations to be ensured for safety of man and machine as well reliable supply with Zero interruption for public utility services.
4)    Speculatory games with trading of power to be stopped forthwith to arrest exorbitant cost of supply and bankruptcy of public sector utilities. Right to mineral as well natural resources is to be retained by union government. All profit hunting game with KG basin gas dispute to be stopped forthwith. Indigenous fuel for power generation including natural gas should be priced at cost+ basis and not on import parity basis. As coal is the major resource for electricity generation, suitable mechanism should be developed to control cost, quality, reliability and efficiency for supply of coal. Selection of technology for power generation should be prioritise on the basis of indigenous resources and adoptability in the Indian situation with affordability of cost of power.
5)    Standard for workplace operational & preventive safety and occupational health related work norm for the electricity industry is to be codified in the Electricity Act in consultation with the National Federations of Electricity Employees. Compliance of such codes are to be strictly adhered to.
6)    Skill development in Electricity Industry should be taken care of by National / Regional Power training institutes / CEA with compulsory training procedure for the employees of electricity utilities to cope with the rapidly changing technology.
7)    Contract Labour (Regulation &Abolition) Act, 1970 should be strictly imposed in electricity industry with compliance of social security measures including provident fund, pension and gratuity for all contract/casual employees. Contract/Casual Workers should be given priority consideration in recruitment process of electricity utilities.
8)    National policy and scheme for generation and use of clean energy to be formulated keeping balanced use of natural resources all over the country.