Port Blair, Sept. 28: Shri Kuldeep Rai Sharma, Member of Parliament and President, INTUC (ANI) and Marine Works Employees' Union (MWEU) along with office bearers of MWEU namely Shri Gyan Prakash Krishna, Shri. M Yousuf, Shri. N Akbar Ali and few Contractual Workers of Government Dockyard of Directorate of Shipping Services met the Chief Secretary, A&N Administration on 27.09.2022 to put forth grievances of the workers employed in the industrial establishment of the Government Dockyard of Directorate of Shipping Services, A&N Administration.
The major issue discussed was to provide enhanced wages i.e. 1/30th of the basic pay plus Dearness Allowance to the contractual employees of the Directorate of Shipping Services and posting of Assistant Labour Welfare Officer (ALWC) at Government Dockyard.
The President of INTUC informed the Chief Secretary that there are around 150 contractual workers engaged by the Directorate for over 12 to 15 years or even more who are entrusted with the nature of similar to that being performed by the regular employees but are paid monthly emolument calculated on the basis of minimum wages with service conditions remaining same as that of Daily Rated Mazdoors.
Inviting reference to the Government of India Office Memorandum no.49014/1/2017-Estt. (C) pf dated 04.09.2019, the Member of Parliament said that as the nature of work entrusted to the casual workers and regular employees is the same, the casual workers need to be paid wages at the rate of 1/30th of the pay at the minimum of the relevant pay scale plus dearness allowance for work of 8 hours a day.
The Chief Secretary was appraised that the Directorate of Employment & Training, A&N Administration vide it's Office Memorandum 289 dated 22.09.2017 as an welfare measure adopted policy to enhance the wages of all such Daily Rated Mazdoors working in various departments, organisations and autonomous bodies of the Andaman & Nicobar Administration as on 01.09.2017 at the rate of 1/30th of the Pay plus Dearness Allowance engaged against an existing vacancy of duly sanctioned post.
Even though these contractual workers were engaged much prior to 01.09.2017 against the duly sanctioned posts, they were not considered for enhancement of their monthly wages because of the nomenclature of their engagement being 'short term contract'.
Kuldeep Rai Sharma further informed the Chief Secretary that in addition to these long serving 150 odd contractual workers, the Directorate of Shipping Services has engaged around 45 industrial workers such as welders, fitters etc. who are continually being engaged on contract against the vacancy of relevant sanctioned posts and are paid monthly emolument of Rs.18,000/- which is the minimum basic pay of the Mazdoor or monthly wage of Rs.19470/- calculated taking into consideration the minimum daily wage for skilled workers.
Since, these industrial workers such welders, fitters, electricians, shipwrights, carpenters, tinsmith, mechanics, etc. who are ITI certificate holders having specialised skills in the relevant trade and are engaged on passing the trade test for the post and are entrusted with the nature of works similar to the regular employees, the Chief Secretary was requested to consider paying these industrial workers monthly pay at the minimum of relevant pay scale of post plus Dearness Allowance against which they are engaged.
The Chief Secretary assured the representatives of the Marine Works Employees’ Union that the administration will look into the matter sympathetically to cause relief to the contractual employees of Directorate of Shipping Services as permissible under rules.