Maha says no move to privatise state-run power firms; employee unions call off strike

January 04, 2023 21:25

Employees of three state-owned power companies in Maharashtra called off their strike on Wednesday evening, hours after they stopped work as part of a three-day agitation launched in support of their demands, following an assurance from the government that the utilities will not be privatised, fulfilling a key demand.

Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the energy portfolio, held a meeting with trade union representatives and later said the government had no intention to privatise state-run power utilities.

The decision to call off the stir was announced by Sanjay Thakur, president of the Subordinate Engineers Association, one of the unions participating in the 72-hour-long strike that started on Tuesday midnight over a host of demands, following the meeting with Fadnavis.

Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd, Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company Ltd, and Maharashtra State Electricity Generation Company Ltd are the state-owned power firms whose employees, numbering more than 80,000, had gone on the strike.

Fadnavis said a "communication gap" between the state government and agitating trade unions led to the stir.

"If a meeting had taken place between the state government and trade union representatives earlier, the strike wouldn't have happened," he said.

The deputy CM said the state government doesn't want any state-run company to be privatised. -- PTI

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