TNEB emplyees state conference

JULY-SEPTEMBER, 2002

VOL. 3 NO.3

TNEB emplyees state conference

The 11^th State Conference of Central Organisation of Tamil Nadu Electricity Employees held at Chennai on 10-12 August, has given a clarion call to the electricity employees and engineers in Tamilnadu Electricity Board for a ‘Meet Masses Masses Movement’ opposing the Centre and State power policy that would endanger disaster to Tamilnadu which comprehends more than one crore and fifty lakhs of consumers, whose interests in general and the development of the State in particular have been built –up on account of the past 45 years of SEB’s existence based on the purely self-reliant endeavors, without any succour from the World Bank or from the Multinational Corporations on the formers behest. According to the call given in the conference, emboldened by the Birth of Tamilnadu Power Engineers’ Organisation, the electricity employees along with power engineers in hundreds will spearhead this movement, meet the peoples in all parts of Tamilnadu in the ensuing 27 to 28 September and conduct propaganda through van and cycle processions and hold hundreds of street meetings and the like.

The conference was preceded by the three torch-bearing marches consisting of Red-Flag in memory of Com D.J. , Martyrs and Communal Harmony from KanyaKumari, Nilgiris and Ramanathapuram respectively taken out covering all districts and throughout journey in a week – time our campaigns have been conducted exposing policies of the Centre and State Government.

The conference was attended by 411 delegates, including 31 working women, 10 power engineers and 10 from Retired Staff Welfare Association.

Com. N.L. Sridharan, Chairman of the Reception Committee welcomed the delegates, the leaders and the gathering of electricity employees.

Com. A.K. Padmanabhan, presided and in his address dwelt at length and recalled the glorious existence of COTEE for the past 32 years in the everlasting imprint made by Com. D.J. Com. AKP exhorted the delegates to put forth their views and the experiences on the movements conducted at the calls given by CITU. He elaborated on the movement conducted on Bonus and Wage--revision issues in the last years and he said that in spite of the State government’s repressive actions the workers had fought valiantly and the working class in Tamilnadu is looking forward for a powerful movement in the days ahead of us. He reminded the delegates that while our movement in the power sector is marching forward, we should also unite electricity employees and engineers for a fight under the banner of Coordination Committee of Trade Unions in Industries, State Government and Teachers, against the pernicious policies now being persued by the State Government.

Com. E. Balanandan, President CITU and EEFI inaugurated the Conference and said that Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee is exposing himself by giving a warning to the Indian Capitalists for maintaining accurate accounts in the midst of bankruptcy of into which the notorious Enron Company and World Com. Have fallen, while his government is being pilloried for corruption in allotment of petrol pump deal for the past two years.

Com. E.B. called upon the electricity employees and engineers in Tamilnadu for a prolonged fight against the power policy of the state Government, which is now colluding with the BJP regime in the Centre. For this fight every worker and engineers should join hands with the rural peasantry, he added.

Com. S. Pancharatnam, General Secretary, COTEE placed a detailed report of the activities and the issues and problems affecting the industry and employees and engineers and State Public in general, in the backgrounds the situation prevailing at International, National and State levels.

Among 411 delegates 77 participated in the discussion.

A notable programme in the conference was a Seminar on the “Problems now being faced by the Working Class in Tamil Nadu”. Leaders from all other unions participated in the Seminar. Com. A. Soundararajan, Deputy General Secretary, Tamilnadu CITU State Committee gave a key-note address, and called upon the workers in public sector industries in Tamil Nadu for a united fight.

The Conference elected 34 Office-bearers and 76 State Executive Committee Members. Com. A.K. Padmanabhan , as President Com. S. Pancharatnam as General Secretary and Com. V. Rajasekharan as the Treasurer are among the Office-bearers.

Com. T.K. Rangarajan, General Secretary, Tamil Nadu CITU State Committee in his address, cautioned the electricity employees and engineers for the effective handling of the Unions in the new situation.

There was a massive rally after the conclusion of the Conference and the Public Meeting was addressed by the leaders.

The Conference, after three days deliberations passed several resolutions including regularization of contract labourers and expeditious settlement on Wage-revision etc.


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