AIDS control contract staff seek wage revision; to move court

Karimnagar: The representatives of Telangana State AIDS Control, Lab Technicians and Employees Union staged a protest wearing black ribbons and maintaining social distance and demanded the government to announce pay revision and to stop labour exploitation, in Karimnagar on Tuesday.

Speaking on the occasion, union State general secretary R Sujeeth Gandhi alleged that from the past several years, the AIDS contract workers have been constantly seeking pay revision from National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), but even after giving commitment, the NACO has given pay revision to senior medical officers only and excluded other contract workers working under it.

"At present almost all AIDS control contract workers are doing extra work due to the outbreak of Covid-19 in addition to their regular work. Apart from that, over the past few years, 25,000 contract workers have been extending their services and stood as pillars to the AIDS control programme and also successfully implemented several initiatives directed by NACO time to time," he stated. But NACO is showing discrimination and neglecting the AIDS control contract workers, who rendered better services with full of commitment. So in protest against the negligent behaviour of the NACO and for showing discrimination against the AIDS control contract workers and demanding pay revision on wage, the AIDS control contract workers staged a dharna in their respective offices across the country on the occasion of World's AIDS Day on December 1 wearing black badges, Sujeeth Gandhi informed.

Union State general secretary Sujeeth Gandhi warned if the NACO does not revise the pay revision soon, the union representatives will intensify agitation and halt the services in the respective State AIDS Control societies present in different states across the country.

Even if justice is not done, then all the AIDS control contract workers will go to the Supreme Court, he added.