CITU stages protest in Tiruchi over power sector demands

The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) staged a demonstration in Tiruchi on Wednesday, pressing the Tamil Nadu government and the power utility to address a range of long-pending demands of electricity workers, including withdrawal of the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and an end to what it termed as “privatisation through smart meters”.

The protest, organised by the Tiruchi City Circle of the CITU-affiliated Tamil Nadu Electricity Employees Federation, was held in front of the office of the Superintending Engineer of the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) at Mannarpuram.

Among the key demands were the immediate implementation of the wage revision due from December 1, 2023, and fulfilment of assurances given by the Chairman of the power utility during talks held in connection with a gangmen sit-in protest conducted by CITU on October 7 and 8 last year.

The union further demanded that over 42,000 entry-level vacancies in the electricity board be filled without delay. It sought the redesignation of gangmen as field assistants, along with payment of the pending 6% wage hike arrears.

The protesters also called for the immediate appointment of around 5,000 gangmen who had been selected earlier but not yet absorbed into service.

The protest was presided over by the Union’s Circle president Natarajan and State vice-president Rengarajan..