The KSEB Officers’ Association (KSEBOA) has decided to launch an indefinite strike on April 11 demanding that the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) management withdraw the ‘‘vindictive action’‘ taken against its leaders.
Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, State-level office-bearers of the association said it would stop cooperating with the management, but without inconveniencing the public or affecting the power supply requirements. An indefinite agitation would be staged outside Vydyuthi Bhavan, KSEB headquarters, at Pattom here.
B. Ashok, KSEB Chairman and Managing Director (CMD), had issued orders suspending M.G. Suresh Kumar, executive engineer and KSEBOA State president, on Wednesday. The action followed a protest held on April 5 against the suspension of another executive engineer, Jasmine Banu, a State office-bearer of the KSEBOA. The KSEB management had invoked dies non on April 5.
Ms. Banu was placed under suspension on charges of staying away from work without applying for leave. According to the KSEBOA, sufficient official documents exist to disprove this charge. Mr. Suresh Kumar has been accused of making false statements against the CMD and the management and instigating employees to take part in the general strike held on March 28 and 29 and the April 5 protest.
Mr. Suresh Kumar and KSEBOA general secretary B. Harikumar said here on Thursday that the agitation would continue until the suspension orders were revoked and the KSEB management corrected its flawed policies.
Members of the KSEBOA are observing Thursday and Friday as 'black days' criticising what they described as a high-handed approach by the KSEB CMD and the top management. The suspension orders would be burnt on Friday as part of the protest.
The KSEBOA leaders accused vested interests in the board management of attempting to wreck the association which played a constructive role in the functioning of the KSEB. The suspension of Ms. Banu and Mr. Suresh Kumar were part of these attempts, the association alleged.
The KSEBOA has sought urgent intervention by Electricity Minister K. Krishnankutty to resolve the issue. Responding to Mr. Suresh Kumar's suspension, Mr. Krishnankutty had said that he would look into the matter once he reached Thiruvananthapuram on April 12. He had also directed the KSEB management to review the dies non order issued for April 5.
In February, Left unions in the KSEB launched an indefinite strike outside Vydyuthi Bhavan against what they termed the flawed policies of the management and its decision to hand over the security of the building to the State Industrial Security Force (SISF).
