Vijayawada: AlaparthiVidyasagar, State President of Andhra Pradesh Non-Gazetted and Gazetted Officers’ (AP NGGOs) Association and Chairman of AP Joint Action Committee (AP JAC), has stressed the importance of ensuring job security for outsourcing employees in various government departments. He advocates for the implementation of the principle of equal pay for equal work and urges the government to take the concerns of outsourcing employees seriously, moving toward organised action to address their long-standing issues.

On Sunday, a State Executive Committee meeting for outsourcing employees took place at NGO’s headquarters in Gandhinagar, Vijayawada. Vidyasagar, the chief guest, discussed benefits and challenges faced by outsourcing employees.

During his speech, Vidyasagar highlighted that Supreme Court had issued clear guidelines regarding the facilities and benefits that should be provided to outsourcing employees. He called on the government to implement these guidelines fully. He noted that there has been little improvement in the living and working conditions of outsourcing employees over the past ten years, forcing them to cope with low wages and heavy workloads.

Vidyasagar recalled that the current government had previously increased wages by 50% through Government Order 151 and ensured that salaries were paid on the first of every month, regardless of budget constraints, starting in 2017—thanks to the efforts of the AP NGGOs Association. He demanded that the welfare schemes mentioned in the election manifesto be extended to outsourcing employees and urged the coalition government to honor its commitments, including salary increases, the implementation of an HR policy, and welfare benefits for their families. Additionally, he advocated for the continuation of the Andhra Pradesh Corporation for Outsourcing Services (APCOS) and the inclusion of all eligible employees under it.

Speakers at the meeting called for prioritising outsourcing employees in regular recruitment, the immediate filling of vacant outsourcing positions, and equal ex gratia payments for the families of deceased employees.

Panyam Venu, State President of AP Government Outsourcing Employees Association, and General Secretary Allam Suresh Babu announced that they would submit resolutions addressing 20 demands, including annual wage increases and the implementation of Employee State Insurance (ESI) and Provident Fund (PF).

State Treasurer PB Balasubrahmanyam; Krishna district president S Santosh Kumar; Anantapur president of AP NGGOs B Chandrasekhar Reddy; State president of Commercial Taxes Employees Association B Venkatesh Babu; Associate president of AP NGGOs in NTR district Vemuri Venkateswara Prasad; city president of Vijayawada CVR Prasad; and others were present.