SHILLONG, Oct 11: Casual workers of the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) on Monday threatened to take out a protest march to the main secretariat on October 17 against the state government’s failure to regularize their services.
The casual workers under the banner of the MeECL Progressive Workers Union (MePWU) staged a sit-in demonstration during lunch break in front of the office of Meghalaya Power Distribution Corporation Limited (MePDCL).
Speaking to reporters, the president of MePWU Mantiphrang Lyngdoh Kiri said, “If the state government continues to remain adamant in its attitude towards our demand, we will be left with no option but to hold a protest march from the MeECL office at Lumjingshai to the main secretariat on October 17.”
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He said that the union has decided to continue with its protest for one hour every day in front of the MePDCL office located opposite the main secretariat. The dharna will continue during a lunch break from 1.30 pm to 2 pm till October 14.
He said that the union has been demanding immediate regularization of the services of contractual employees and for the release of pending arrears. However, there has been no positive response from the government till today, it claimed.
On September 15, deputy chief minister in-charge Power Prestone Tynsong had in the just concluded Assembly’s autumn session assured that the government will take adequate steps to consider the demand of the casual employees for regularization as per law.
He had said the erstwhile MeSEB had engaged outsiders on a casual basis on a need basis.
The engagement was for a period of 60 days with one day break. Renewal of the casual engagement was made from time to time.
With the incorporation of the MeECL from April 1, 2010, these casual workers continued to be engaged and are paid daily wages as per the Minimum Wages Act as followed by the government of Meghalaya and adopted by the corporation.
At present, there are 1802 casual employees employed in MeECL and its three subsidiaries.
Tynsong had said with a view to streamlining the engagement of casual workers in the corporation and also keeping in mind the welfare of such employees, the MeECL has introduced a contract agreement with a validity period of one year which shall be renewed annually with benefits which include provident fund, subsidy on coverage of MHIS, casual leave, earned leave, maternity leave, payment of overtime.
He had said the proposal was also to enhance the salary which that the percentage of enhancement of wages of the employee whose tenure of service is above 5 years but below 10 years is fixed at 5 percent of the total amount of monthly wages and to those whose tenure of service is above 10 years but below 15 years is fixed at 10% of the total amount of monthly wages.
The MePWU while opposing the said proposal has submitted its charter of demand consisting of 10 demands which include regularization. However, after thorough deliberation with the MPWU members, pending consideration of the demand for regularization, the contractual agreement of 1 year was implemented and the above benefits have been extended to all the casual and contractual workers of the MeECL. (NNN)
