PNS | Vijayawada
In a decisive move, employees of the Andhra Pradesh Electricity Department have voted in favour of an indefinite strike. Beginning August 9, they intend to convey their dissent through a symbolic act, ‘Pen down, Cell phone down’. After unsuccessful negotiations between the Andhra Pradesh Power Employees Joint Action Committee (JAC) and the power utility management on Tuesday, discussions will resume on Wednesday under the aegis of the AP government, aimed at addressing the employee concerns and averting an impending indefinite strike.
Starting Wednesday night, employees from the Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation (APGENCO), Transmission Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (TRANSCO), and Discoms, who have been wearing black badges as a sign of protest since the end of July, will boycott their duties and begin the strike.
Chaired by P Chandrasekhar, the APSPE JAC, along with secretary general P Prathap Reddy and Convenor B Saikrishna, revealed that Tuesday witnessed employees engaging in a work-to-rule strike at their workplaces. As part of their future strategy, the JAC plans to stage a pen-down protest on Wednesday and return their SIM cards to the management by Wednesday evening. Furthermore, they have decided to limit their activities solely to emergency services. The APSPE JAC leadership indicated their intention to pursue negotiations on Wednesday, with the provision that an indefinite strike remains an option if talks yield no resolution.
Amid the unfolding developments, security measures have been tightened by the Vijayawada police, deploying a contingent of 2,000 officers at Vidyut Soudha. Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Vishal Gunni inspected the security arrangements ahead of the anticipated indefinite strike of the electricity workers. Commenting on the situation, Vishal Gunni explained, “We have received intelligence indicating potential disruptions by anti-social elements under the guise of electricity employees during the impending strike scheduled for August 10, 2023. In a pre-emptive measure, Section 30 of the Police Act and Section 144 of the CrPC have been invoked in Vijayawada.”
