Labour union seeks payment continuation of PWD casual staff

ITANAGAR, May 13: The Arunachal Pradesh Labour’s Union (AAPLU) has submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Pema Khandu seeking ‘continuation of payment of casual staffs under PWD Naharlagun Division.’
The AAPLU informed that the PWD Naharlagun division’s executive engineer
had requested the PWD Capital Circle Superintending Engineer for retrenchment of excess casual labours under Naharlagun division, and accordingly the payment of casual labours was stopped for the month of December, 2019.
After that, as per the order of PWD commissioner’s memo, only 1045 staffs were allowed to continue their services under Naharlagun division, and accordingly payment has been made to casual labours from the month of January and February, 2020.
“It is very unfortunate that the department has again stopped salary of casual labourers from March, 2020 to till date,” it said.
Highlighting the plight of daily wages labourers and casual labourers of the state and country due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the union said that “the monthly salary of casual labourers was the only source of income for their families’ survival, but immediate stoppage of their monthly salary during a pandemic means breakdown of the backbone of the labourers which is not tolerable at any cost.”
Strongly opposing the stoppage of salary of casual labourers, the AAPLU requested the chief minister’s office to look into the matter seriously and pass necessary direction to the concerned department for continuation of salary from the month of March, 2020 for the welfare of casual labourers of the PWD Naharlagun division.
The union also cautioned that it would be compelled to go for democratic movement if the government fails to take necessary action.