APTransco raises wages of outsourced staff

Vijayawada: APTransco has increased the wages of outsourced workers and issued orders in this regard on Wednesday. The Transco increased the salaries of four categories of workers i.e., the high skilled, skilled, semi-skilled and the un-skilled.

The outsourced employees had been demanding pay hike for a long time and finally the Transco ceded their demand. Recently, energy minister Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy, education minister Botcha Satyanarayana, senior officials of the state government and the Transco, APGenco and power employees JAC leaders held a meeting at the Secretariat where it was agreed to resolve the long pending issues related to the outsourced workers. K Vijayanand, special chief secretary, energy issued the orders to this effect on Wednesday.

Existing gross wage for high skilled is Rs 22,589 per month which is increased by Rs 8,016. Now the revised wage of high skilled worker is Rs 30,605. Skilled worker’s present wage is Rs 20,598 and it is increased to Rs 27,953. The skilled worker gets wage hike of Rs 7,355. Semi-skilled worker now gets Rs 17,144 which has been increased by Rs 6,092. The revised wage of semi-skilled worker is Rs 23,236. Unskilled worker’s wage is Rs 16,473 a month and it is increased to Rs 22,318. Unskilled worker gets the hike of Rs 5,845.

The Transco in a statement said after careful consideration it issued orders for enhancement of wages to outsourced workers working in APTransco through 3rd Party Man Power Supply agencies/contractors. The enhanced wages as per these orders will be paid from the date of issue of these orders through the existing agencies/contractors.

The contribution towards EPF shall be paid only on the basic wage of the outsourced workers limited to Rs 15,000, excluding other allowances. The contractor will provide the Group Insurance and medical Insurance to all the outsourced workers, whose wage is more than Rs.21,000 per month since they are not covered under ESIC. The insurance premium will be restricted to amount equivalent to 3.25 per cent of the corporations share for ESI.

Commission to the man power supply agencies/ contractors will be paid on gross wages of the outsourced worker as per agreement.

The drivers will be continued to be under skilled category, but the wages will be paid in a beneficial way either under these orders or Standard Scheduled Rates (SSR) without causing any reduction to the existing wages being paid. The GST will be paid as per applicable rules/act.

These increased wages are applicable only to existing outsourced workers. These orders are made available on the internet and can be accessed at the address www.aptransco.co.in.