Date:05/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/05/stories/2008030558880300.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Contract workers stage dharna

Staff Reporter

Submit memorandum to Tourism Divisional Manager

— Photo:K.R. Deepak

for job security: Contract workers, owing allegiance to the CITU, staging a sit-in inside the office of the Divisional Office of AP Tourism in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday.

VISAKHAPATNAM: A dharna was organised by contract workers of AP Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC), under the aegis of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), seeking regularisation of their services here on Tuesday.

Addressing the agitating workers, CITU district leader S. Ramesh said that the contract workers have been serving the department for many years for very low wages. Their main demands include: regularisation of services, payment of bonus and provision of EPF facility.

He said that an agreement was reached between the workers and management in presence of the Tourism MD on December 26, 2007.

The management had agreed to 17 demands including payment of bonus, provision of EPF and bus pass facility but has failed to implement them till date.

Though interviews for promotions were conducted in September 2007, the same have not been implemented till date.

Stir threat

A memorandum was submitted to the Tourism Divisional Manager P. Jeevan Prasad.

He promised to do the needful after consultations with the Managing Director who was out of the country on tour.

The CITU leaders said that a token strike would be observed if the demands were not met by March 8.

They threatened to launch an indefinite agitation if the demands were not solved by March16.