Unions seek clarity over jobs on compassionate grounds

Hyderabad: Albeit the Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL)’s decision to revive jobs on compassionate basis to its existing workers is a welcome sign, it clearly lacks clarity if one goes by the employees and trade union leaders.

It may be noted here that the company gave up the practice of providing jobs on compassionate ground to its employees in 2002. Since then, the employees have been at the loggerheads with the management demanding revival of it.

Against this backdrop, the company, at the behest of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, issued a circular on November 4 reviving jobs on compassionate ground for its existing workers.

Whether the scheme would be continued in the future or not is the moot point. Moreover, the company didn’t mention the fate of the dependent jobs of employees who took voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) before 2002.

It may be noted here that nearly 2,500 employees took VRS on medical grounds between 1997 and 2001. The SCCL even conducted medical tests for the dependents, besides providing training to some of them.

However, a change of policy by the then government led by N Chandrababu Naidu retracted its promise and offered Rs 2 lakh compensation each to the VRS employees in lieu of jobs to their heirs. Demanding jobs, still there are 103 employees who turned down the compensation.

This apart, 2,635 employees, who have less than one year service, will not come under the ambit of this provision as per company’s decision. The SCCL circular envisages revival of jobs on compassionate basis only to the existing workers aged between 48 and 59 years as on October 11, 2016.

Recalling KCR’s promise during the Telangana agitation, CITU State General Secretary M Saibabu told The Hans India: “The announcement appears like a one-time settlement as the company didn’t specify that whether the scheme would be continued in the future or not.” He said that company’s decision is not exactly in line with the KCR’s promise.

Even a few days ago, the Supreme Court passed a ruling that contract workers should get the same pay as permanent workers. Further it observed that denial of equal pay for equal work to daily wage labourers or contract employees amounts to exploitative enslavement, Saibabu referred, while drawing the attention of the SCCL to consider KCR’s another promise to regularise the services of around 20,000 contract workers.

However, welcoming the revival of the scheme, former Floor Leader of the CPI in the House Gunda Mallesh, questioned the government over the injustice meted out to those who took VRS before 2002. “It seems like that the decision is aimed at influencing the workers in the ensuing recognised trade union elections.”

Meanwhile, the Singareni official sources said process for the recruitment was in full swing under the aegis of Director (PAW) J Pavitran Kumar and a final circular with all the details would be released soon. It’s learnt that recruitment would be carried in a phased manner based on the number of retirements this year and applications seeking jobs.

It is also learnt that the issue of those employees who took VRS before 2002 didn’t figure in the agenda of the Singareni Board meeting held on November 4.