Report by Kamgar Ekta Committee (KEC) correspondent
Statewide Convention of Contractual, Outsourcing, Security Guard and Advanced Project Worker Cell under the auspices of Maharashtra State Electricity Workers Federation was concluded on 25 February 2024 at Khamgaon under the chairmanship of Com. Mohan Sharma, President of Workers Federation. Com. C. N. Deshmukh working President, General Secretary Com. Krishna Bhoyar, State Vice President B.L. Wankhede, A D Sangade, S. R. Khatib, State Treasurer Abdul Sadiq, Joint Secretary PV Naidu, Shailesh Taide, Ayaz Khan Pathan, Virender Patil, Pandit Kumawat, General Secretary of Contract Workers Cell N.Y. Deshmukh, State Secretary Datta Patil, State Joint Secretary K. K. Jalare were present on the dais.
Com. N.Y. Deshmukh in the introduction elaborated the woes of the contract workers in the three power companies and appealed to them to be ready to organize and struggle under the banner of the Workers’ Federation to find a way out.
Com. Krishna Bhoyar, in his speech, told the audience that the fight for outsourcing, security guards and advanced skilled workers will have to be intensified in the coming time. He urged everyone to be ready for that.
Com. C.N. Deshmukh while addressing said that if there is any worker who is exploited the most it is the contract worker. The struggle for these workers is the need of the hour. He assured that the organization will stand firmly behind this worker. The leadership of the organization should take the initiative to build the contract workers’ union. Since the policies of the central and state governments are anti-worker, the contract workers should also partner in the agitation against that policy.
Com. Mohan Sharma while addressing the meeting said that the organization has started a struggle against the management of the state and power companies for many years on the issue of contract workers in power companies. Contract workers were recruited in many electricity companies in the country. The power department has formed a committee of the directors (MAS) of all the three power companies and the chief industrial relations officer on the issue of contract labour. The organization demands that a discussion with the organization should be held immediately and a dignified solution should be found regarding the accommodation of contract workers, outsourced workers, security guards and advanced project workers. He announced the decision to partner in the movement of the action committee on the issue of contract workers in electricity companies from the next day. He also announced that the struggle of the workers’ federation with the government and administration will continue until the policy of accommodating the contract workers and other workers in the electricity companies is finalised.
The Convention adopted the following resolutions:
Resolutions Passed in Khamgaon Meeting
- Contractual, outsourcing, security guards and advanced project workers of all the three power companies should be absorbed in the service in the same manner as the workers of power companies of Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Himachal, Orissa etc. are absorbed according to educational qualification.
- In the same manner as the daily workers in the previous Electricity Board were accommodated, they should be accommodated as daily workers without any condition on the basis of seniority.
- Guarantee of 60 years of employment till the workers of all the three power companies are absorbed. Contract workers should not be retrenched without a valid reason.
- The seniority list of the employees of the three power companies should be prepared and published on the portals of the three companies.
- The minimum wages fixed by the state government should be increased by 40 percent.
- The workers (old and new) currently working in the electricity companies must be given equal wages. While giving wages to the workers, the wages should be fixed considering the number of years of service.
- Rules should be made for preferential admission of contract workers in new recruitment with age limit and relaxation in educational qualification.
- No contract worker should return even a single rupee to the contractor once the wages have been paid to the contract workers.
- In case of death of a contract worker, the order to pay compensation of Rs.4 lakh to his family should be amended to Rs.20 lakh.
- It should be mandatory for the contractor to provide E-ID by providing facility of ESI to all the employees.
- Heirs of employees who died in accidents should be accommodated in employment.
- Until the pension starts for the deceased contract worker, all responsibility should be fixed on the contractor’s door.
- It was decided to make welfare fund trust members by paying Rs.515 to the contract, out-sourcing, labour, security guards and advanced skilled project victims of the three power companies.
- It was decided to create a separate organization of security guards.
- Due to the registration of Contractual Outsourced Workers Independent Association, meetings of President-1, Vice-President-2, Secretary-1, Joint Secretary-2, Organizer-2, Treasurer-1, Women Representative-2 and Famous Chief-1 in each district are immediately held by the Circle Secretary. A resolution was passed that the district should be announced.
The Convention was attended by thousands of workers from across the state.