The contract employees in the electricity department under the banner of the Telangana Electricity Trade Union Front (TETUF), here on Monday, launched their five-day relay hunger strike in front of the Collectorate demanding the early resolution of their charter of demands. The demands included the regularization of services of all the 23,000 contract employees, removal of contract system, implementation of pension scheme, payment of salaries through the treasuries and undertaking the new recruitment in the department. Addressing the gathering, the TETUF chairman Lakshman Reddy said that the contract employees have been working for 20 years now hoping for the regularization of services. Though they have been working more hours than the regular employees their salaries have not been raised in accordance to their service, he said. The front convener Gangadhar said that their agitation would continue till their demands were met.

Source: The Hindu November 21, 2016 13:15 UTC