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Labour law violations at Old MLA Quarters
While the MLAs receive a hefty pay check of Rs 2 lakh per month, the men and women who are at their beck and call like the sanitary and maintenance workers at the Old MLA quarters are paid a pittance. Eashwaramma (name changed on request) has been working for the last seven years and her life did not change for good.
Hyderabad: While the MLAs receive a hefty pay check of Rs 2 lakh per month, the men and women who are at their beck and call like the sanitary and maintenance workers at the Old MLA quarters are paid a pittance. Eashwaramma (name changed on request) has been working for the last seven years and her life did not change for good.
She says, “PF and ESI are not given. Even after several requests we do not receive the PF though the amount is deducted from our salary.” Till the mid-2000s there used to be regular sanitation staff at the Old MLA quarters but, as one after the other retired, there was no recruitment and the workers were outsourced.
At present, the state of affairs is such that the contractors deduct PF amount but do not credit it into PF accounts. When the issue was brought to the notice of Assembly Secretary Raja Sadaram he said that the contractor’s money was credited into the accounts but workers deny it.
A worker said that they are not provided with any identity cards and it becomes difficult at times for them when questioned by the police personnel or other government authorities.
A staffer who had been serving at the quarters for the past 10-years said that a major part of his youth was spent in the service at the quarters and that he wishes he was made permanent by the authorities. Likewise, several sweepers too have been working for the last several years.
Carpenters, sweepers and lift operators are paid a monthly salary of Rs 12,000 and after deductions they get Rs 10, 350. A sanitary worker said, “It is just impossible to feed a family and give good education. All we are asking for is a decent salary along with PF and ESI benefits.’ The electrician’s salary is Rs 15,000.
Till 2014, the salaries were just Rs 6,000 and when the staff raised their voice the salaries were increased to Rs 12,000. Several attempts to reach the contractor Harikrishna proved futile. The sanitary and maintenance staff said that they did not want to be quoted as in the past they were removed from their job when they spoke to the media.
