Electricity Employees Federation of India

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.

All Office Bearers / Working Committee Members / Affiliated Unions / Associations

An extended meeting of the EEFI working Committee will take place at B.T.R. Bhawan, New Delhi on 23^rd February 2011 at 3:00 pm. (after the rally) to discuss the agenda noted below. Besides the working committee members the nominees of different constituents of EEFI for the TU School to take place on 24-25 February is invited to attend the extended meeting of the working committee.

All working committee members and invitees for the meeting are requested to attend. Work reports of the organisations are to be sent by 10th February for presentation in the meeting.

EEFI centre has arranged accommodation for participants of distant states for 23^rd February Rally. Part of the cost is to be borne by the respective states. The address of Accomodation for 22-23 February,2011, for 900 people is Adhyatmik Sadhna Kendra (Jainis), Opp. Chattarpur Mandir, Left to Chattarpur Metro Station, Chattarpur, Mehrauli. All the distant states are requested to inform EEFI centre in writing Nos of participants requiring accommodation indicating male and female. Last Check Out time is 09-00 AM 24^th February.

N B. 1.Allocated number of participants of Hindi conversant states / organisations will be as under :

Punjab 10, Haryana 10, Rajasthan- 6 UP-2 , West Bengal –12, Sahayak-8 , NTPC-4, Powergrid-2 CESWMU-4, DVC-2, DPL-2, Bihar-2, Jharkhand-2 Orissa-2, Chandigarh-5, J&K-2 Assam –4, Tripura-2, HP-2

2. Leaders of Participating Unions are requested to contact EEFI Centre / Com Subhas Lamba (09811329365) / Com Devender Hooda (09416800096) to inform total Nos of Participants indicating Nos. of Males and Females and arrival / departure schedule.

ALL ORGANISATIONS AFFILIATED TO AND ASSOCOAITED WITH EEFI SHOULD ORGANISE CONDOLENCE MEETINGS AND OBITUARY ON DEMISE OF COM JYOTI BASU IN BEFITTING MANNER ON BEHALF OF THE ORGANISATION ITSELF OR IN ASSOCIATION WITH RESPECTIVE STATE LEVEL ORGANISATIONS OF TRADE UNION / MASS MOVEMENT.

Attention is drawn towards the Lead Topic of October-December, 2009 issue of Voice of Electricity Workers as printed in the Text Box at Page 11 of the current issue of Voice.

Lead Topic for next issue of Voice -
Occupational Safety and Health of Electricity Workers

Working Committee of EEFI met at Chandigarh on 19-20 September, 2009 reviewed the working condition of Electricity Employees all over the country. It was revealed that almost all the utilities are dauntedly defying all norms, standards, rules and regulations related to employees’ safety at various location and voltage profile. In the name of market oriented competition minimum investment for compliance of standard procedure is avoided. Untrained unemployed young men are engaged at cheapest possible wages through the contractors for execution of risk and danger prone jobs of erection, operation and maintenance. None are paying heed to incur extra cost for training of these unskilled young people inducted in the industry. Use of non-standard equipment, tools and tackles have become the order of the day in the electricity industry. Cost of Personal Protective Devices(PPDs) are saved to push the workers in danger prone job. Regulators are prescribing so many norms in the name of consumer service or power supply reliability index such as recovering all break down by 1/2 hour without taking into account the ground reality. Inhuman work load and working condition are being thrashed upon the workers.

EEFI intend to exchange information on present method of Training, retraining and updating of knowledge base of the workers with the advancement of time and technology at different electricity utilities.

Constituent unions/associations are requested to send articles / news items / statistics / facts and figures regarding working condition, safety organisation, occupational health, accidents and events / examples of departure from safety norms as well our movement to set things right. Methodology of awareness campaign on safety among the workers should also be highlighted.

All these matters are to be published in the next issue of Voice including some articles of the experts in the field.

All contributions are to be sent either in English or Hindi to EEFI Centre by 10th of December, 2009.

In order to reflect a realistic picture of Occupational Safety and Health of Electricity Workers across the country, we are enclosing a format for providing Safety related information. Queries are some samples not exhaustive. More detailed information if available are welcome. At least filled in format as per available information may kindly be sent to EEFI centre by 20th December, 2009.

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

The deferred 2nd Meeting (after 6th conference) of the Office Bearers of Electricity Employees Federation of India will be held on 27th July 2009 at BTR Bhawan New Delhi. The meeting will commence at 11.00 AM sharp. All office bearers are requested to make it convenient to attend the meeting.

1. President’s Speech.
2. General Secretary’s deliberation on activities since 1st OB Meeting along with present situation.
3. Reporting of Office Bearers upon the activities as per responsibilities allocated in the first Meeting.
4. Formation of Editorial Board for Voice of Electricity Workers. Publication and circulation of next issue. Updating of Website.
5. Status of collection of Fund for EEFI Office at New Delhi, Status of Clearance of levy and Voice dues with reporting of follow up activities undertaken by responsible Office Bearers.
6. Review of National and State wise Situation of Electricity Industry and Workers and Strategic Planning there upon.
7. Working Committee Meeting: Finalization of Date and Venue.
8. Any other matter with the permission of the Chair.

           S/d
    (Prasanta N Chowdhury)
            General Secretary
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NB: List of Subscribers of Voice with individual mailing address, subscription money, State /Union activities reports to be published in Voice and detailed information on status of EEFI Office Building Fund, Affiliation Fees and Voice   dues are to be brought as per allocated responsibility.