The Vellore Corporation has finally increased the daily wages for contract workers, taking into account the rise in prices of essential commodities.
Officials said the wages were increased from ₹426 per day to ₹535 per day, including PF and ESI allowances, from August 1. The order was issued by Vellore Mayor Sujatha Anandakumar, coinciding with the celebrations of 75 years of Independence.
At present, contract workers are employed in three categories – garbage clearance on streets and roads (977 workers), dengue prevention and mosquito breeding control (306) and micro compost centres (310) – under the solid waste management department of the civic body.
They have been employed, through outsourcing agencies, for over a decade since the civic body became a Corporation in 2008, and are paid as per the nature of work.
“The increase in daily wages is an additional financial burden to the civic body. However, the initiative has been done on humanitarian grounds,” Ms. Sujatha Anandakumar told The Hindu.
As per norms, daily wages of contract workers in each district are fixed by Collectors every year, based on labour requirement and industrial activity in the respective districts. Accordingly, the wages also vary with districts. For example, contract workers in Tiruppur near Coimbatore are paid ₹600 per day while those in Virudhunagar are paid ₹185 per day, Cuddalore ₹450 and Vellore ₹360.
On the contract workers’ demand for uniformity in daily wages, officials in Vellore said it was being sorted out.
A government order (G.O.) would be issued on the new daily minimum wages for contract workers in the State. Based on the order, a new tender to employ contract workers would be floated. The delay in EPF payment by contractors was also being sorted out, officials added.
‘Fulfil other demands’
Divided into four zones, the Corporation has a total of 60 wards, covering around eight lakh people. On an average, each ward has 70-80 streets, where contract workers are employed on all days barring Sundays.
“We welcome the increase in daily wages for contract workers. However, the Corporation should also fulfil other demands of the workers soon,” said M. Govindammal, president, Vellore Corporation Sanitary Contract Workers Association.
