Nagpur: Tension is brewing within Maharashtra’s power sector as nearly 86,000 employees, engineers, and officers associated with the State-run electricity companies have announced a state-wide agitation on May 14, demanding immediate payment of bonus and ex-gratia ahead of Diwali.
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The protest call has been given by the Maharashtra State Electricity Employees, Engineers and Officers Action Committee, which has accused the management of deliberately delaying the proposal related to employee bonus despite the workforce allegedly achieving major financial and operational targets.
As part of the first phase of agitation, employees across Maharashtra will wear black ribbons while attending duty and organise gate meetings outside offices and establishments of the State power utilities to register their protest.
Union leaders claimed that employees played a crucial role in strengthening the financial position of the electricity companies through improved revenue recovery, reduction in power losses, and better operational efficiency.
According to the Action Committee, outstanding arrears were reportedly reduced from nearly Rs 2,400 crore to Rs 1,800 crore due to sustained efforts by employees and field staff.
The unions further stated that Maharashtra’s power utilities have earned substantial profits in recent years and have also received several national and international recognitions for performance and service improvements.
Despite these achievements, employees allege that the management has remained indifferent towards their long-pending demand for bonus and ex-gratia payments.
Under the planned agitation, thousands of engineers, officers, and technical staff working in the State’s three major power companies are expected to participate in coordinated demonstrations across districts.
Union representatives said the protest is intended to send a strong message to both the government and power company management regarding growing dissatisfaction among employees.
Opposition to Privatisation and Wage-Related Issues
Apart from the bonus issue, the Action Committee also voiced strong opposition to several other policies, including:
- Privatisation of power sector operations
- Restructuring of electricity companies
- Wage deductions
- Issues concerning contract workers
- Pension-related concerns
The unions warned that if the State Government and management fail to take a positive decision soon, the agitation could intensify in the coming days and disrupt normal functioning within the power sector.
Employee leaders maintained that workers who ensured uninterrupted electricity supply and improved the financial health of the utilities deserve timely incentives and fair treatment rather than delays and uncertainty.
