Leaders of the outsourced workers’ unions have announced that their State-wide indefinite strike in support of their demands, including a hike in honorarium and regularisation of services, will continue.
The union leaders met Adviser (Public Affairs) Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy and Education Minister Botcha Satyanarayana in the third rounds of talks held on January 6 (Saturday).
Andhra Pradesh Municipal Workers’ and Employees’ Federation general secretary K. Umamaheswara Rao said the government did not agree to their demand for regularisation of services or hike in their honorarium.
The workers had demanded that either their honorarium be enhanced or a yearly bonus of one month’s salary be paid to them, both of which were allegedly declined by the government.
“The Ministers said the government will pay an honorarium of ₹21,000 to some sections of sanitation workers, including outsourced underground drainage workers (UGDs), sanitation vehicle drivers and malaria workers. The government had already issued a G.O. last week regarding a provision of Occupational Health Allowance of ₹6,000 to these workers, in addition to their honorarium of ₹15,000. Now, the government has only said they will merge them and give a sum of ₹21,000. Technically, there is no rise,” said Mr. Umamaheswara Rao, who took part in the meeting.
After the G.O. was issued, the Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) had demanded that the allowance be extended to park workers as well. The government reportedly did not agree to this demand as well.
The government refused to agree to their demand for an honorarium to outsourced workers of the engineering department as per the rules laid down in the 11th Pay Revision Commission (PRC).
CPI(M) leader Ch. Babu Rao said there was also a discussion on G.O. RT No. 30 (January 18, 2019) that fixed the remuneration to the outsourced workers in the Urban Local Bodies, considering the nature of their duties.
“We demand that every skilled, semi-skilled and un-skilled worker be paid a health allowance. Since there is no headway in our talks, we have decided to continue the strike,” he said.
Addressing the media after the meeting, Mr. Satyanarayana ruled out salary hike for now. He said the “government can’t increase salary multiple times in a span of five years.” The Minister further said that the government proposed to do away with allowance and merge the amount with salary. This, he said, would benefit the workers in their subsequent hike in salary. The pending salary for those working in schools would be released soon, he added. The salary during the strike period would also be released, he said.
He further said that the ex gratia in case of accidental death was increased to ₹7 lakh from ₹5 lakh. One-time settlement would be allowed to the next of kin of deceased employee, who failed to apply for ex gratia within three months of death.
The Minister also said that PF would be implemented for the workers. Non-skilled workers would be imparted skills, awarded certificate and allowed as skilled workers in the same department. Workers who had been recruited during COVID-19 were not drawing on a par with others. Such workers would be accorded first priority against any vacancy, the Minister said.
On the retirement benefits, he said an amount of ₹50,000 would be paid to those completing up to 10 years. Those who completed more than 10 years, the retirement benefit would be calculated at the rate of ₹2,000 per each year of service, and the highest of the two would be the final retirement benefit, Mr. Satyanarayana said, and appealed to workers to join duty, and promised to implement the decisions soon.
