Members of the Andhra Pradesh Electricity Meter Readers’ Joint Action committee staged a protest opposing the decisions of power distribution companies.
They said the Eastern, Central and Southern Power Distribution Companies had decided to engage reading department employees in other services.
A large number of meter readers took part in the protest at the Dharna Chowk in the city on Wednesday.
They said that their working days were reduced from 14 days to eight days and the payment of ₹3.80 per reading has been decreased to ₹3.62, but the contractors were paying only ₹3 per reading. By reducing the working days, the physical burden on the readers had increased, they said.
They demanded that the government consider them as semi-skilled labourers and provide job security and pay ₹17,144 as monthly salary as per the Labour Act.
JAC honorary president M. Balakasi, president L. Ramakrishna, general secretary Sk. Hazarath Ali and others led the protest.
