Contract workers under the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL) staged a protest here demanding job regularisation and wage hike in Krishnagiri on Friday (July 24).

According to the Tamil Nadu Electricity Department Contract Workers’ Association, there were over 70,000 vacancies in the Department of Energy. Yet, contract workers continued to function in their contractual positions without regularisation.

The association said workers with 5-20 years of service still remained in contractual positions. According to the protesters, over 6,788 workers who had secured High court orders for job regularisation are yet to receive their orders. The association also demanded a wage hike to ₹965 to be directly payable by the government.

The protesters also demanded jobs to a family member of each of the 250 workers who had been electrocuted while they were discharging their duties. The association also sought adequate compensation to those families.