MPSEB Union postpones strike

Jabalpur, June 1 (UNI) The Madhya Pradesh State Electricity Board (MPSEB) Technical Employees Union today postponed its strike, in support of various demands, which was to be held tomorrow.

The Union and MPSEB administration were having a face-off and yesterday's first-round talks had proved inconclusive. Board sources said the second round at the local Shakti Bhavan involved the MPSEB's Financial Advisor Pankaj Agrawal, Secretary P K Vaishya, Union Working President K K Paigwar and General Secretary S K Maurya.

The latter round witnessed consensus on some issues. A three-member committee, with the MPSEB Additional Secretary as its convenor, would soon be constituted to examine anomalies in technical employees' services. The committee's report would be acted upon by October.

Even as the Labour Ministry issued a directive against the agitation, a Board source earlier said the judiciary was informed that the strike would amount to clear violation of the ministry's directive.

As per information supplied by the Union to the Board, technical employees throughout the state would be on mass leave. Class three and class four-level workers were also prepared to go on leave for a peaceful strike.

The employees had said they would court arrest if there was any ''use of force'' against their agitation.

On May 25, the state Home Department invoked ESMA while issuing an order declaring as essential the services of those working in the MPSEB's and its companies' scientific, technical, executive and secretarial wings for generation, transmission and distribution.

Those absenting themselves from essential services might have attracted six months' to three years' imprisonment and a fine of Rs 500-Rs 5,000.

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