Letter to Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Ministers and Press Release by Government, Semi-Government, Teaching, Non-Teaching Staff Coordination Committee, Maharashtra
(Translation from Marathi)
Date: 15/09/2023
To
Hon. Shri Eknathji Shinde
Chief Minister, Maharashtra State
Hon. Shri Devendraji Fadnavis
Deputy Chief Minister, Maharashtra State
Hon. Shri. Ajit Dada Pawar
Deputy Chief Minister, Maharashtra State
Subject: Concerning withdrawal of Government decision of the Departments of Industries, Energy, Labor and Mines, dated September 6, 2023 to privatize and contractualize government jobs.
Sir,
The government decision of the Department of Industries, Energy, Labor and Mines to privatise and contractualize government, semi-government jobs has been issued on 6 September 2023. This is a decision that will destroy the future of the employees and push them in darkness. This is a decision that has shattered the dreams of the lakhs of educated unemployed. This is a decision that violates the principles of socialism and social justice in the Constitution and enables the unrestricted exploitation of contract workers. This decision has given a big blow to the dreams of the youth who are eyeing government jobs.
We protest this policy of the government on behalf of all the government employees, trade unions, teachers, student unions and the educated unemployed young men and women of this state.
We demand that this government decision be withdrawn immediately.
The state’s school education minister has announced a policy to develop schools through private organizations with CSR funds. Due to this, there is a rightful suspicion that the already extensively privatized education sector will be further privatized on a large scale. We oppose this policy as it is deceptive and darkens the future of students from the grass roots of society.
We give the government a deadline till the immersion on Anant Chaturdashi. Otherwise, we are warning that a state-wide joint movement will be called after that.
Yours,
Vishwas Katkar, General Secretary, State Government Employees Central Association, Maharashtra
Kapil Patil, Wipas National General Secretary, JD(U), State President, H. M. K. P.
Subhash Mhalgi, General Secretary, Hind Mazdoor Kisan Panchayat
Tapti Mukhopadhyay, President, MFUCTO
Shashank Rao, President, Best Workers Union
Ashok Belsare, President, Shikshak Bharati
R. B. Singh, President, Non-Teaching Staff Union
Ramakant Bane, General Secretary, The Municipal Union
Rohit Dhale, President, Chhatra Bharti
Press release
Date: 15.09.2023
(Translation from Marathi)
Government’s great desire for contractualization will lead to the administration’s destruction.
The government’s ploy to adopt an extreme policy of contractualization and privatization in running of the state affairs has been unveiled recently. Around 4,10,000 vacancies exist currently in various administrative departments of the state and in schools and colleges in teaching and non-teaching category. While action is expected from the government to immediately fill up these vacant posts without delay, it is seen that extreme measures for delaying have been taken in this regard. Assuming for the sake of argument that it cannot be the responsibility of the government to provide jobs, yet considering the promises made to the people, it is the responsibility of the government to at least alleviate the menacing problem of unemployment in the state. If the 4,10,000 vacant posts are filled permanently in a proper manner, the hopeful youth of the state will definitely get a boost. (2,60,000 vacancies in various state departments and 1,50,000 teaching-non-teaching vacancies in schools and colleges)
Actions are being taken to eliminate about 25 to 30 percent of sanctioned posts by the government in the name of structural revision in every department of the administration. Filling up of the above mentioned approximately four lakh vacant posts, which have been left vacant in the wake of such measures, could be a necessary measure for the efficient functioning of the administrative machinery. But in the last 30 months, the government has avoided in various ways the filling up of the vacant posts. Shockingly, out of 62 thousand posts sanctioned in the health department, 23 thousand posts are currently vacant. Many times healthcare services are seen to be collapsing due to lack of adequate workforce. As about four lakh posts are vacant, many obstacles arise in the daily government administrative work. Naturally, due to the increase in the number of pending jobs, the currently working government employees are the victims of public outrage. If the workforce is not adequate, can speedy and good quality work be expected? By passing the government decision dated September 6, 2023, the state government has rubbed salt in the wounds of the government employees as well as of the general public.
It appears that the order to fill up 138 skilled/unskilled staff categories on contract basis has been issued in order to benefit 9 private companies. Today 138 categories are being filled on contract basis by the government to as a test case. After the success of this experiment, it should not be surprising if this government remains in the forefront to gradually fill all four lakh vacant posts in the same manner. Because in this process, the government may be more interested in protecting the interests of 9 private companies rather than of the public.
17 lakh members of Government-Semi-Government, Teaching-Non-Teaching Staff Coordination Committee have made a rightful demand that two and a half lakh vacant posts in the state government should be filled on a permanent basis in a proper manner. Convener of the Coordination Committee, Shri Katkar has warned that if the government fails to meet our rightful demands, a decisive struggle will be forged in the state. Next Monday on September 18, 2023, strong protests will be held in front of all government offices and related schools and colleges in the state to draw the attention of the government to this important demand.
We are United!
Vishwas Katkar,
Convener
Government, Semi-Government, Teaching, Non-Teaching Staff Coordination Committee, Maharashtra