THE electricity employees will not allow the central and state governments to advance an inch further in their privatisation agenda! Their resistance will be indomitable in the coming days, as evidenced by two national strikes in the electricity sector within two months. This was the clear message from the 10th National Conference of the Electricity Employees Federation of India (EEFI) that was held from March 10-12, 2025, in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The conference also marked the 40th anniversary of EEFI and the birth centenary of Comrade E Balanandan, the founding president of EEFI.

The conference saw the participation of over 350 delegates from all sectors of the power industry, including generation (thermal, hydro, nuclear, and wind), transmission, and distribution. Attendees included employees from central public sector undertakings like NTPC and PowerGrid, state public DISCOMs from 22 states and 4 union territories, as well as representatives from various private power utilities. Delegates travelled from across the country, from Jammu and Kashmir to Kerala, and from Meghalaya to Maharashtra.

The conference was inaugurated by Tapan Sen, General Secretary of CITU, who emphasized the changing dynamics of technology and employment relations and their impact on the working-class struggle. He praised the electricity workers for their unwavering resistance against the anti-worker and anti-people policies of the Modi government over the past several years. He also highlighted the potential implementation of the labour codes and the crucial role electricity workers must play in opposing them. The inaugural session was also addressed by Mohan Sharma, General Secretary of the All India Federation of Electricity Employees (AIFEE).

On the evening of the first day, a massive rally of electricity employees took place, featuring a vibrant display of Kerala's traditional culture. The rally received enthusiastic support from numerous workers' organisations along its route. Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala, sent a message of solidarity to the electricity workers, expressing his heartfelt support and best wishes for the success of the conference.

The public meeting was addressed by Elamaram Kareem, President of EEFI, and Swadesh Dev Roye, Working President of EEFI. The speakers emphasized the alternatives demonstrated by the movement and the LDF government of Kerala, stressing the need to protect these achievements with unwavering determination and conviction.

The three-day conference was attended by Mpho Phakedi, General Secretary of the Trade Union International (Energy) and the largest miners’ union in South Africa, who brought with him vast experience in anti-imperialist struggles. He ignited an ideological fervour among the delegates by framing the international task before the working class: to strive for a world free from exploitation within our lifetime. The conference also saw the participation of four international energy sector delegates from Nepal.

A comprehensive report was presented in three parts, covering the international and national political-economic situation, the global and domestic energy sector, and EEFI’s organisational efforts and struggles. The report highlighted the challenges faced by electricity workers amid rapid technological advancements, including the impact of artificial intelligence. It emphasized the need to assert the affirmative role of labour and its organisations in this evolving landscape.

The report critically examined the transition of the public energy sector toward private renewable energy. It identified privatisation in various forms, along with contractualisation and other forms of workforce casualisation, as the primary issues confronting electricity workers today. The report also discussed ongoing struggles and resistance efforts, particularly those aimed at safeguarding consumers’ right to electricity and protecting public power utilities.

The geopolitics of energy and the role of imperialism, driven by multinational and transnational corporations, were analysed in detail. The report also addressed the rise of far-right forces and fascistic tendencies within the ruling dispensation as a response to systemic crises. It concluded with a clarion call to advance the social transformation of the current exploitative capitalist order towards a more egalitarian and just society.

A total of 60 delegates actively participated in the discussions, which included debates on rapid automation, the displacement of workers, and the movement’s stance on these issues. The challenges faced by contractual workers were a prominent topic, as was the role of labour in the energy transition process. Delegates shared numerous experiences of struggle, enriching the dialogue with diverse perspectives.

The conference also saw the participation of leaders from the All India Coal Workers’ Federation (AICWF) and the Petroleum and Gas Workers Federation of India (PGWFI). They emphasized that united action by the three energy federations of India could shift class correlations in a pro-people direction. This monumental task and responsibility now lie before the movement, calling for collective resolve and action.

The conference adopted several crucial resolutions, including strong opposition to the privatisation of the power sector, safeguarding the Kerala Model of Alternatives, and strengthening the LDF government. Other resolutions focused on securing contract workers' rights and demanding fair labour practices, combating the corporate-communal nexus and divisive tactics, organising working women and challenging patriarchal norms, mobilising workers across the global value chain, building international solidarity in action, and ensuring public ownership in renewable energy development.

A special resolution was passed to ensure the success of two national strikes: one opposing the Labour Codes and the other addressing issues in the electricity sector, both scheduled for June 26, 2025.

The conference concluded with the adoption of future tasks, including expanding organisational reach, focusing on non-regular workers, integrating independent organisations into EEFI’s fold, and organising power engineers under EEFI. Special initiatives will be taken to organise workers within private power utilities, mobilise pensioners into the joint movement, and prioritise issues affecting women and youth in the power sector.

Decisions were made to form large worker-consumer organisations in every state, strengthen united actions with other electricity federations, bolster the NCCOEEE, and develop coordinated efforts with the other two energy sector federations – AICWF and PGWFI. The tasks ahead include creating alternative frameworks to counter neoliberal policy reforms, enhancing the collective bargaining capacity of non-regular workers, and campaigning for workers’ representation on public sector management boards. EEFI also resolved to establish a permanent Research and Training Centre in Delhi to elevate the political-ideological standards of its cadres.

A 25-member office bearers committee, including three women and one permanent invitee, was elected. The conference also elected a 55-member working committee, comprising the office bearers, and an additional 70 general council members.

Elamaram Kareem was re-elected as president, and Swadesh Dev Roye was re-elected as working president of the Federation. Sudip Dutta was elected as the new general secretary, and S Rajendran as the treasurer.

The struggle of electricity employees is set to intensify and achieve victory in the coming days. As the most strategic force to challenge and transform the oppressive State, electricity workers are poised to play a pivotal role. The 10th National Conference of EEFI has called on its members to fight for a future that protects the right to electricity and advances a transformative agenda for a just and equitable society.