TAMILNADU: PART TIME WOMEN EMPLOYEES SCORE A BIG VICTORY

More than 5000 women workers in Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) who are designated as part time workers have scored a big victory in their struggle for wages. This struggle, led by Central Organization of Tamil Nadu Electricity Employees (COTEE) affiliated to CITU, has been going on for the last 15 years!

These workers, almost all belonging to socially oppressed classes, a good number of them widows, were paid only a pittance. These amounts in 1995 varied from Rs.60, 120, 250 based on the floor space of the office.

The CITU union took up the issue of this cruel exploitation of women who had to be in the office from morning to evening but are not paid even a day’s wage for the whole month. CITU demanded that these workers should be paid at least the wages being paid to the mid day meal workers in the State.

A series of campaigns, demonstration etc. were conducted. In 1996, at the time of wage revision for the regular workers, CITU took this up as a major issue. Finally, CITU could force the Board to issue an order on 14.10.1998, that these workers will be paid on par with mid day meal workers from 20.03.1997.

But, the ‘generosity’ of the Board and State Government ended with that. The Board refused to implement its own order. The Union continued with various struggles and also approached the court. In 2003, the Chennai High Court gave a judgment in favour of the workers, directing implementation of the Boards order!

TNEB, instead of implementing the order by agreeing to the Judgement appealed against it! But that time there was a change in the government. The AIADMK had won the elections in 2001 in place of the DMK government which had issued the orders in 1998.

The CITU took up the issue with the Chief Minister of the AIADMK government. The then C.M. was prepared only to increase the wages from Rs.250 to Rs. 850. This increase was with effect from 15.10.2005.

Again there was a change in Government in 2006. The DMK government. which had issued the orders, come back to power. While continuing the litigation and also struggle, the issue was again taken up with the Electricity Minister and again he was prepared only to increase the wages from Rs.850 to Rs.1000 with effect from 01.07.2009.

The writ appeal of TNEB was also rejected by the High Court on 18.08.2007. Again the Board went on Appeal to the Supreme Court. Meanwhile struggles were also continuing. By mobilizing these workers from all over the state, a massive demonstration was held in Chennai

On 26th October, the Supreme Court of India, gave its Judgement. The court ruled that “ on the facts of the case we are not inclined to interfere with the impugned Judgment”.

However, the Judgment said that the scale of pay of Rs.600-1100 with Dearness Allowance will be effected not from 14.10.1998 but from the date of filing of Writ Petition. The date of implementation now is 04.04.2003 and the amount as on 1.10.10 will be Rs 2685.

It is a big victory for the CITU union in TNEB. What can be said about a state government controlled board going on appeal again and again on the question of refusal of implementation of its own order? What can be said about the different state governments, which refused to help the workers by implementing the order of their own undertaking?

It is to the credit of the CITU which had taken up the issue all alone and also of the poor women workers who continued to struggle under the banner of CITU.

COTEE-CITU has urged TNEB to urgent steps for implementation of the Judgement of the Supreme Court of India as there is nowhere else to go on an Appeal!

Source: www.citucentre.org/