CHENNAI: All 19 trade unions of the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) have urged the management to fill the vacancies before finalising the next wage settlement. The demand was made during wage revision talks held in Chennai on Thursday.
“There are around 60,000 vacancies, including posts of field assistants, assessors, and technical assistants, which have remained unfilled for years. Despite repeated appeals, no action has been taken,” said M Subramanian, general secretary of the TNEB Thozhilalar and Poriyalar Association. He added that the severe staff crunch has increased workload and mental stress among employees.
A Sekkizhar, general secretary of the TNEB Employees’ Federation, said the unions have also demanded an interim relief of Rs 5,000 per month for all employees. The last wage revision, due on November 30, 2019, was implemented only in May 2023 with a 6% hike. The current revision, due on December 1, 2023, has also been delayed. After a two-year gap, the board resumed talks with the unions on Thursday.