HT Bureau
NAMSAI, MAY 23: The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), Arunachal Pradesh unit, on Thursday submitted a memorandum to the Minister of Labour & Employment, raising a significant demand on behalf of casual and contingency workers across various government departments. The organization urged the state government to mandate the compulsory engagement of family members of those casual or contingency workers who have retired without receiving any retirement benefits.
In the memorandum, the BMS expressed concern over the difficulties and hardships faced by individuals who had served under casual or contingency employment schemes and have since retired. The union pointed out that these retired workers are not entitled to the retirement benefits typically extended to regular employees, which places them in an even more vulnerable financial position post-retirement. According to the BMS, many such workers, after years of service, are now living in worse financial conditions than they did during their employment due to the absence of any pension or post-retirement security.
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The BMS emphasized that these workers, despite contributing significantly to their respective departments and the functioning of the state government over many years, are left without a safety net once their services are terminated upon reaching retirement age. The organization highlighted that the issue is widespread and has become a source of deep concern among departmental workers and their families.
In response to this ongoing problem, the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, on behalf of the affected workers, has requested the government to adopt a cabinet resolution that would ensure the automatic and compulsory appointment of family members—such as sons or daughters—of the retired casual or contingency workers to vacant casual or contingency (MTS) positions. This measure, the BMS argued, should be applied particularly in cases where the retiring workers have not received any form of retirement benefit or pension under existing schemes.
The BMS stated that such a policy would bring much-needed relief to the families of the retired workers and would help maintain continuity of livelihood for those who have devoted their lives to public service under less secure employment categories.
Speaking to the media, BMS President Ringu Chapo revealed that the organization had also submitted a two-point charter of demands along with the memorandum. One of the demands calls for the enhancement of the current retirement benefit of Rs 3,00,000 (Three Lakhs), which was recently announced by the state government, to a more substantial amount of Rs 10,00,000 (Ten Lakhs).
While the BMS welcomed the recent government order (No. SE/APEC-I/E-V/WC-52/2015-16/5559-62) dated 31/03/2016, which formally fixed the superannuation age of casual and contingency workers at 60 years, it maintained that the currently sanctioned retirement benefit of Rs 3 lakh is grossly inadequate. The union emphasized that, considering the long years of hard service rendered by these workers—often under challenging conditions—the sum of Rs 3 lakh is not enough to provide any meaningful financial support post-retirement.
In its statement, the BMS further reiterated that many of these retired workers have served the departments and the state government with commitment and loyalty throughout their working lives. Yet, the lack of proper retirement security leaves them financially helpless once they step down from service. The organization contended that an enhanced retirement benefit of ₹10 lakh would enable these individuals to start a small business or support themselves and their families in their remaining years.
The BMS concluded by urging the state government to consider its demands seriously and act promptly to address the issues faced by retired casual and contingency workers. It also expressed gratitude for the state’s current initiatives and extended appreciation to the dynamic leadership that has been steering the government, while calling for more robust and inclusive welfare measures for unregularized workers who form a significant part of the state’s workforce.
