Contract, outsourcing and regular employees of the Andhra Pradesh Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited (APEPDCL) staged a protest at the corporate office in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday (July 15, 2026), seeking the resolution of their long-pending service issues. They later submitted a memorandum to the Discom officials listing their charter of demands.

Leaders of the protesting unions warned that if the management failed to hold talks and resolve the issues within two weeks, they would take the protest to a Statewide demonstration in Vijayawada on August 10.

Charter of demands

The protesters listed 20 grievances, seeking the intervention of the CMD and the State government. The demands include the immediate constitution of a Pay Revision Committee (PRC), the regularisation of contract and outsourcing workers, and the implementation of “equal pay for equal work”, with a minimum wage of ₹48,000 for non-regular staff.

They also sought the release of pending Dearness Allowance (DA) in a single instalment and a cashless, unlimited health insurance policy.

The unions demanded the promotion of JLM Grade-II employees as Assistant Linemen and better career progression for Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation Limited (APGENCO) workers. They sought the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) by shifting employees from the EPF to the GPF, and ₹10 lakh in gratuity for contract workers. They also raised the payment of risk and travel allowances for O&M and field staff, and the filling of vacant posts through seniority-based recruitment.

Union ultimatum

The employees said the management had not acted despite multiple representations to Superintending Engineers (SEs) and the government since June 11.

“The management will be held solely responsible for the consequences if these issues remain unaddressed within the stipulated two-week window,” R.K.S.V. Kumar, honorary president of the United Electricity Contract Workers Union (UECWU-APEPDCL), said. Meter readers, bill collectors and computer operators were among those who took part in the protest, and opposed any move towards the privatisation of the power sector.