COIMBATORE: A section of gangman staff employed under the Tangedco staged a sit-in protest on the Chief Engineer’s (CE) office premises in Coimbatore demanding the authorities not to force them to carry out technical work and also initiate action against the section officers who denied to provide gangman staff with safety measures.
They staged the protest under the banner of Tamil Nadu Electricity Board Gangman Union and said they would continue the protest until the CE accepted their demands. S Yuvaraj, state general secretary of the union, said that more than 40 gangman staff died and above 100 people sustained injuries due to negligence of the section officers in the last four years across the state. They added that Coimbatore region accounted for more fatalities.
“Owing to manpower shortage, we are being forced to do the technical work, which is beyond the nature of our work. This has led to fatalities in the past. Despite the department making available all kinds of safety equipment like belt ropes, torchlights, safety glows, safety indicators and raincoats, the section officers under whom we are working, are not providing us with safety gear. Further, they are threatening us by issuing memos while we demand even basic necessities,” he said.
Another gangman staff said that a section officer in Peelamedu recently issued a memo to the gangman staff for bringing these issues to the attention of a Superintendent Engineer of Coimbatore Metro. “Other section officers also follow similar practices,” he added. Promotion as field assistant and transfer to native districts were the other demands highlighted in the protest that was held.