Various unions and associations in the city on Saturday asked Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour Chairman Dhara Singh Chouhan and other members to recommend measures for improving working conditions for contract workers and take measures to ensure payment of minimum wages.
The panel members received a plethora of representations during their tour to the city. All India Steel Workers’ Federation (AITUC) additional general secretary D. Adinarayana said a contract worker should get at least Rs.15,000 a month. Contract workers engaged in regular nature of work should be made permanent. Demanding adoption of better safety mechanism at Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, he said all contract workers should get medical and other benefits. A CPI (M) delegation led by senior leader and former State president of CITU Ch. Narsinga Rao expressed concern at non-implementation of laws for ensuring benefits ensured to the contract workers. The team wanted social security net for contract workers and increase in payment of wages.
A delegation from Hindustan Shipyard Karmika Sangh led by BMS national secretary M. Jagadiswara Rao, district president K.S. Swamy, V. Ravi Raju and general secretary A. Kanaka Raju met the committee members at Hotel Novotel and sought their intervention for early regularisation of the services of 600 casual employees of Hindustan Shipyard Ltd working under L&M series category for past several years.
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Among top executives who met the team included Chairman-cum-Managing Director of RINL A.P. Choudhary. Steel Executives Association (SEA) general secretary M. Srinivas led a team seeking 120 days maternity leave instead of 84 days for the employees of VSP, initiation of process of pay revision due from January 1, 2012 and payment of incentives, entry level scales and pension scheme.
Visakha Ukku Contract Karmika Sangham (INTUC) leaders Mantri Rajasekhar, G. Sanyasi Rao and others sought construction of a super speciality ESI hospital near the steel plant. They said the committee should recommend improvement in the standards of living for contract workers in VSP and other industries and ensure that they were paid all allowances and facilities due to them.