Privatisation is seeping into government led companies and organizations at a higher rate and employee unions of such organizations are resorting to strikes for showing their disapproval towards the move.
In a recent development, the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) has come into view as its employees’ union has declared a three-day long strike against the entry of the electricity arm of Adani Group.
The private biggie is looking to seek a power distribution licence for the Bhandup Zone. The Maharashtra state’s employee union is conducting a strike starting from Tuesday midnight to protest against this issue- the entry of private companies into the state-led electricity organization.
“The workers have raised an alarm against the alleged privatisation move of the government by allowing entry to the Adani company. The unions claimed that the protest is not for employees but mainly for consumers, and said that if they do not intervene now, electricity charges may soon go up as private players enter the field,” stated an Indian Express report.
In concerns for consumers or citizens, the employee unions have asked people to keep a back-up option ready in case of power cuts, and advised them to store adequate water in tanks and containers to avoid any kind of inconvenience during their 3-day strike.
The unions have taken to social media to educate and inform citizens about how the entry of private entities could lead to rise in electricity prices for them and have been informing them about the strike.
Further, one of the employees’ union of MSEDCL has organised a meeting with the Electricity Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, who is also the Deputy Chief Minister of the state.
The meeting is scheduled at 1 pm on Wednesday, January 4, 2023.
MSEDCL is also known as Mahavitaran; it has kept private electricity agencies on standby mode for the operation and management of electricity distribution services to avoid any kind of hassle if the strike takes place, stated the report.
