Workers should call off strike, says Thangamani

Chennai: Electricity minister P Thangamani on Saturday appealed to TNEB workers affiliated to CITU, BMS and few other trade unions not to go on indefinite strike from February 16 and asked their representatives to attend the talks scheduled for February 12. 

Speaking to reporters at the secretariat, the minister said the trade unions seem to have an "ulterior motive" since they have already announced strike call before getting to know the government's offer on the table. The unions have given a strike call accusing the TNEB management of failing to finalise the wage agreement that was due in January 2016.

The unions take objection to the government's offer of '2,500 to regular employees and Rs 1,250 to retired employees as an interim relief from October last and want the government to finalise the wage agreement immediately. They say the interim relief has been announced only because the government is not ready to announce the final offer. 

"The government is ready to talk to the trade unions and listen to all their demands. We have no problem in talking to them and solving their problems. But to give a strike call before the talks is not fair. The trade unions should behave responsibly," Thangamani said. 

He said except the CITU, BMS a few other unions, all other trade unions including the one affiliated to the DMK have expressed willingness to attend the talks and trash it out on the negotiating table.