RANIPET: Around 300 contract workers of Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited's (BHEL) boiler auxiliaries plant (BAP) in Ranipet staged a protest in front of the BHEL's SIPCOT campus on Thursday seeking fair wage, benefits and more leaves. At present, around 1,000 contract employees work at the BHEL's Ranipet plant.
"While the central government's minimum wages are being implemented in public sector companies like NTPC, the BHEL administration continues to pay us the state government's minimum wages," alleged the workers, adding that the state government, which was supposed to revise the wages in 2023, has not done it yet.
Demanding wages for all 30 days in a month, R Kumar, general secretary of All Contract Workers Union in BHEL (Ranipet), said, "We are given salary only for 26 days. Salaries are being cut for Sundays and other public holidays. As a result, we are losing over Rs 1,000 every month."
Further, the workers alleged that salaries are being reduced every year at BHEL. "Since 2009, an ad hoc allowance has been paid along with wages. However, from 2022, without any notice, this amount was merged with the hike in dearness allowance. As a result, there has been no effective DA hike for the last few years," said a protesting worker.
The workers demanded that wages should be paid for all the declared holidays. Additionally, they sought 12 days of casual leave to be granted per year. Citing the Factories Act, they said, employees should also be provided weekly off days with wages and 18 days of earned leave per year.
Besides, they urged that all workers be provided with safety equipment of good quality, formal uniforms and 20% bonus. Despite multiple requests, the BHEL administration has not taken any step to address these issues and hence, we have decided to go on a hunger strike on October 25 and a full-day strike on October 29, they said.