Sewerage plant workers seek equal pay for equal work

Shimla, June 13

Members of the Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP) Contract Workers’ Union, affiliated with the Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU), staged a protest outside the office of the Managing Director, Shimla Jal Prabandhan Nigam Limited (SJPNL), on Thursday and demanded equal pay for equal work as per the Supreme Court’s decision of October 26, 2016.

During the protest, CITU state president Vijender Mehra said as per the SC’s March 12 decision, workers of the STP plant and network should be regularised.

They also demanded as these workers are exposed to numerous toxic and volatile gases, their pay be hiked by 50 per cent due to the highly-hazardous nature of sewage work.

Furthermore, they demanded that all STP workers should be registered under the Factory Act, and all facilities as per the Act be provided to them. Besides, they also demanded that all safety equipment, including PPE kits, oxygen masks, gum boots, helmets, gloves, life jackets, safety glasses, safety belts, portable fans, first aid kits, soap, sanitiser, skin lotion, masks, among others, be provided to the workers under the Manual Scavengers Act-2013.

They sought strict enforcement of the Manual Scavengers Act-2013 and action against violators as per the SC’s March 27, 2014 decision.

The workers also called for issuance of identity cards to all workers, provision of changing rooms, bathrooms, laundry and separate washrooms for men and women staff and rooms for eating and keeping utensils for network workers. They said adequate provision of drinking water at all STPs should be provided.

They demanded renovation of old staff quarters at all STPs and construction of new staff quarters. They requested two sets of uniforms according to the season for all workers, immediate filling of all vacant positions, and rectification of all EPF and ESI errors and deposit of pending payments.

They said STP and network workers should be paid their wages before the seventh of every month. They also requested the provision of bonuses to STP and network workers and the grant of earned, casual, medical, national, and festival leaves, among others and a 30% annual increment in the wages of STP and network workers based on seniority.

Following the protest, the union officials had a discussion with the Managing Director who assured them of considering their demands.