There are over 3 lakh contract and outsourced employees working in as many as 87 departments of the State. But here's the sad thing about them.
While they haven’t received any pay hike in the last five years, permanent employees got a hike of 110%. The disparity can be gauged from the salaries they get.
In the Medical and Health Department, an ANM on contract with 11 years of service gets Rs.16, 000 whereas a regular employee gets Rs.40, 000. They do not have maternity leave either.
Normally, we see contract and outsourcing employees resort to agitations asking that their services be regularized. The argument put forward against their demand is “Didn’t you know that it is a contract job you were taking on? How can you ask for it to be regularized now?”
But surely, in the same vein, there is justice in the demand when it is made by people who have been working in contract and outsourcing jobs for more than 5 years?
Prior to the elections, the TDP had promised that the services of all contract and outsourcing staff would be regularized. True to style, after coming to power, Naidu formed a cabinet sub-committee on the issue which is yet to submit its report on the issue and probably never will.
The staff from across the state is therefore organizing ‘Chalo Vijayawada’ on March 3. So much for CBN and his promises.
