Contract, outsourced staff JAC demands pay hike

 Stresses the need for extending govt schemes like Amma Vodi and house pattas to contract employees as they have been drawing salaries of only Rs 6,000 to Rs 8,000 per month

Tirupati: The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of AP contract and outsourcing employees has been demanding the State government for a hike in their salaries which were last increased six years ago.

The State chairman of the JAC K Suman recalled that Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has assured on various occasions during the run-up for elections that the services of about 55,000 contract staff in the State will be regularised within six months of coming to power.

Speaking to The Hans India on the sidelines of the meeting of leaders of the association in Tirupati on Sunday, he said that they want the implementation of 11th PRC recommendations to all the contract workers as they have been doing more work at very low wages. These staff has been working for 12-18 hours per day and on many times were not allowed to avail their leaves though it is their right. He further said that as Opposition leader Jagan Mohan Reddy has announced that his government will bring in pay parity for all outsourced workers. But, even after Jagan Mohan Reddy assumed power, these employees were getting only the old salaries though the government set up APCOS (AP Corporation for Outsourcing).

Out of around 1.90 lakh outsourced employees, only 90,000 were registered in the APCOS and getting salaries directly from the government while the remaining are still working under private agencies. He said that the JAC has been asking to register all the remaining workers under APCOS. Further, all outsourced employees should be made contract employees.

The JAC has been seeking implementation of at least Rs 5 lakh worth accident insurance and bank loans facility which the government employees are entitled to get. Since they were classified as government employees in the CFMS portal, they were denied any government schemes like Amma Vodi, house pattas etc., though they get only Rs 6000-8000 per month. The JAC wants to correct this and make the contract staff eligible for such schemes based on their actual incomes.

They have decided to represent their demands to the Chief Minister and other officials seeking immediate solutions. Leaders P Gurunath, A Suresh, Ramanjulu, Padmaja and others from various districts took part in the day long deliberations.