Azernews.Az

By Sabina Idayatova

Russian energy company Inter RAO UES has replaced general director of Telasi JSC, its majority owned electricity distribution company based in Georgia. Devi Kandelaki was appointed acting CEO of the company, Georgian media reported.

Until now Kandelaki served as CEO of Mtkvari Energy Ltd, Khrami HPP-1 JSC and Khrami HPP-2 JSC, the companies generating assets of Inter RAO UES in Georgia.

Former CEO of Telasi, Ashot Manukyan, retains the position of general manager of the Hrazdan thermal power plant in Armenia.

Earlier, on November 20, the employees of Telasi company, except providing power supply and the city emergency crews, started a strike.

The general strike started in support of the company`s former seven employees who had been on a hunger strike for a week. They were demanding reinstatement of the 125 employees who were fired from Telasi this summer.

After meeting with Georgian Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze, employees stopped starving but continued their strike.

Trade Union chairman Irakli Petriashvili said that Minister Kaladze had promised them to establish a working group to scrutinize the issue of the dismissed employees.

According to Petriashvili, the minister himself and his deputy will be involved in the process.

Kaladze also promised to discuss with Inter RAO reducing energy tariffs.

Inter RAO owns slightly over 75% in the Tbilisi-based Telasi JSC with two most powerful TbilGRES power units, Khrami-1 and Khrami-2 hydro power plants, as well as other facilities.

Telasi carries out distribution and sale of electricity in the Georgian capital and its suburbs, serving about 454,000 customers in the city of about 1 million people and providing them with up to 2 billion KWt/hr of electricity per year.