Thiruvananthapuram: KSEB Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) B Ashok on Wednesday suspended KSEB Officers' Association President M G Suresh Kumar for participating in the strike against the former despite being barred from doing so.
Meanwhile, Suresh Kumar, who was part of M M Mani's personal staff when he was the minister for electricity in the State, said he will challenge the suspension organisationally.
"I have been suspended for exercising my right as a member of the association, and not for dereliction of duty. I have intimated the minister about the same," said Suresh Kumar.
He also said the association and other employee unions will continue their agitation against the CMD.
The CPM-leaning Officers' Association is in protest against the decision of KSEB to suspend Jasmin Banu, an executive engineer and a member of the association, without any valid reason. One of the members said the chairman even "insulted her womanhood".
However, Ashok has refuted the allegations saying, "Jasmin Bhanu faced disciplinary action for keeping away from work without applying for leave. Moreover, she did not hand over the charge to anyone else during her absence.”
A few months ago, the unions had waged a strike demanding Ashok's ouster after his Facebook post on the “high-handedness of trade unions” irked a section of employees.
