The officers' association and the chairman and managing director of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) have locked horns over the participation of KSEB officers in the general strike called by Central trade unions on Monday and Tuesday.
The KSEB Officers' Association (KSEBOA) has strongly objected to a warning allegedly issued by B. Ashok, the KSEB CMD, that the management would deny promotions to officers who fail to report for duty on the two days.
Mr. Ashok came out with a Facebook post on Sunday morning denying the charge. There was no basis to the allegation that the management planned to block the promotions of employees who participated in the strike, he said. He stated that instructions issued by the KSEB management were meant to ensure smooth power supply to the public on both days.
Mr. Ashok added that senior officers in management lacked the rights enjoyed by trade unions to strike work.
The KSEBOA also responded with a Facebook post saying that the CMD was trying to confuse the issue. The protest was against the warning issued at a meeting of senior officers that officers would be denied promotion if they failed to report for work. The matter does not pertain to the promotion of other employees, the KSEBOA said.
The employees and officers of the KSEB had always taken great care to ensure uninterrupted power supply on all occasions when they participated in general strikes, the KSEBOA post said.
