Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Mahatransco and MSEB Agree to 30 Percent Salary Hikes

mahatransco

In news this morning from Mumbai, the Mahatransco, Mahagenco, and Mahavitaran power companies and striking union workers have ironed out an agreement where workers will receive a 30 percent pay increase. Employees of the companies have been on an indefinite strike since Monday night which cause major power outages in Mulund, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Kalwa, Shahapur, Karjat, Pune and many other places.

Negotiations between workers and the three companies of the MSEB were deadlocked until State Energy Minister Sunil Tatkare arrived at the utility’s head office at Prakashgad in Bandra. After several hours of negotiating, the workers wanting up to 60 percent pay increases, and the state only offering 22 percent, Tatkare evidently mediated the 30 percent hike for the workers. The MSEB has already lost 6000 MW of electrical output by the time deliberations started, while there is little doubt major outages provided the impetus for the eventual deal.

According to some sources at MSEBCL, the state really had little choice but to give more to the union in this situation, and one person there had this to say:

“Despite additional procurement, state was reeling under severe shortage as the generation at Koradi, Kaparkheda and Parli had dropped to zero mega watt. Generation at the other stations was also affected.”

Though workers started back immediately after the decision was handed down, it will take some time for the power generation stations to ramp back up. Power levels are supposed to be back up to normal sometime today according to the reports.

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