The real power of trade unionism has come out in the open in Kerala with the Kerala State Electricity Board Officers’ Association (affiliated to the CITU, the CPI-M promoted trade union) demanding the expulsion of B Ashok, an IAS officer from the post of chairman.

Ashok, no nonsense officer, and the CITU have been on a war of nerves ever since he assumed the charge of KSEB Chairman. The chairman issued notices to those officers who absented themselves from duty without authorisation or permission. Since the officers were all affiliated to the CITU, they ignored the notices issued by the chairman whom they term as a Sanghi.

Jasmine Bhanu, an executive engineer with KSEB and enjoying strong clout with CPI(M) leadership was placed under suspension by the chairman for unauthorised absence from duty. Union leaders Suresh Kumar and B Harikumar who barged into the cabin of the chairman too were issued notice by the chairman. While Bhanu’s suspension order was quashed by the Kerala high Court, the other two officers wanted him to tender public apology for the action.

The officers are aggrieved by the tough measures initiated by the chairman are on a relay sit-in in front of the company headquarters at Thiruvananthapuram. Things took a turn for the worse as K Krishnankutty, the minister for power made it known on Monday that he was with the chairman on this issue.

Krishnankutty belongs to one of the factions of the Janata Dal and the association members told the minister to pack up and go if he does not know how the company operates. M M Mani, the former power minister (2016-2021) described Krishnankutty as an ignorant politician. “I was in charge of the department for five years and never faced any difficulties with the employees or officers. They are excellent workers and experts,” Mani told reporters on Tuesday.

“We have seen many chairmen coming and going here without any fanfare. What is so special about the present chairman? He should learn to take the staff into confidence,” said Suresh Kumar while speaking to journalists at the capital city.

The possibility of an indefinite strike by workers and officers is not being ruled out by the board authorities. “Suresh Kumar, who is facing disciplinary charges now, was the de-facto head of the KSEB during the tenure of M M Mani as power minister. You cannot challenge the CITU  when the CPI(M) is ruling the State,” a KSEB insider told The Pioneer.