Contractual Sanitation workers of JNU held protest demonstration today at the office of Central Labour Commissioner at Shrameva Jayate Bhavan in Dwarka. A delegation consisting of Urmila Chavan (former Sanitation workers at JNU presently retrenched from work), Anju Kumari, Sucheta De and Suvarna Swain (JNU AICCTU Office Bearers) met the Assistant Labour Commissioner Mr Rajnish Sangwan.
Addressing the protest, Sucheta De of AICCTU said that despite being a central university, JNU does not pay its workers according to minimum wages fixed by the central government. The contractual Sanitation Workers of JNU are its biggest sufferers. According to Minimum Wages Act, making anyone work below the level of stipulated minimum wages is called 'forced labour' and the employer is responsible for such violation. Contractual sanitation workers of JNU are also being denied of their basic rights of getting salary slip every month. Thus, the service provider as well as JNU is depriving the workers of relevant information regarding deductions from their wages.
“Contractual workers face threat and intimidation from JNU as well as service provider whenever they demand their rights. But the despite the threats, the workers will continue to steadfastly intensity their struggle for justice and rights” added Sucheta.
JNU administration had been carrying out union busting acts against leaders of All India General Kaamgar Union (AICCTU) in an attempt to break the workers’ movement in the campus. JNU President Urmila Chavan and Secretary Sucheta De have been barred entering the campus after the union took up the issue of non-payment.
Urmila said that retrenchment of contractual workers are happening at the whims and fancies of the JNU administration and service provider in complete violation of law of the land continues. Despite working for decades, the contractual workers are being denied of their legal rights of getting regularised. JNU is also denying maternity benefit to its women contractual workers.
The union also noted that the office of the Deputy Central Labour Commissioner had issued an order of Equal Pay for Equal Work in 2018 for contractual workers of JNU, thereby directing JNU to pay the contractual workers at par with permanent workers on the same post. JNU continues to violate the order till date thereby stealing lakhs of rupees of hard earned wages of the workers.
AICCTU has intimated JNU several times about the continued violation of workers rights in JNU. Despite this, the violations continue unabated. The delegation briefed the ALC about unabated violation of workers rights in JNU and demanded immediate action. The ALC has assured the delegation to initiate steps to ensure implementation of minimum wages and other labour laws in JNU.
The workers warned that if appropriate steps are not taken within 15 days, they will intensify the struggle against the violations by the JNU administration.
