6 months on, temp election staff yet to receive salary
Despite a HC order, district officials allegedly refused to pay 61 temporary employees
Published: 11th January 2020 06:58 AM
Express News Service
CHENNAI: It has been six months since 61 temporary employees deployed for election duty in Chennai, received their daily wages.
Despite a High Court order stating that the employees must be allowed to work till March 2020, the District Election Commission officials allegedly refused to pay them claiming that their work period ended in May. “However, the officials made us work till November,” the workers said.
The 61 employees, working as ‘section writers’ assist in election data entry apart from preparing electoral roles and voter id cards.
“We have been working since 2007 and were paid `480 per day. Every financial year, a government order is passed clarifying on the daily wages to be paid that year. Last year the services of section writers working in Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram were extended for one year, but for section writers in Chennai, it was only extended for three months -- April 1, 2019 to June 31, 2020,” said one of the section writers in the city.
This, they allege, was because the Election Commission wanted to start recruiting section workers on contract basis and the workers were against it. “If we begin to work under a contractor, our wages will get cut by half. We opposed the plan, and since our services are indispensable and they needed our help for the local body elections, they extended our services for three more months,” said the section writer.
Following this, the section writers association approached the Madras High Court, which passed an order on July 9 that the workers in Chennai too must be allowed to work till March 2020. The temporary employees said though they stopped receiving salaries after June they still go to work. “When we go to office now, some officials act like they do not know us,” said another bereaved worker.
When contacted, a senior official from the Chennai Corporation said they would look into the High Court order and take necessary action.
Despite a HC order, district officials allegedly refused to pay 61 temporary employees
Published: 11th January 2020 06:58 AM
By KV Navya
Express News Service
CHENNAI: It has been six months since 61 temporary employees deployed for election duty in Chennai, received their daily wages.
Despite a High Court order stating that the employees must be allowed to work till March 2020, the District Election Commission officials allegedly refused to pay them claiming that their work period ended in May. “However, the officials made us work till November,” the workers said.
The 61 employees, working as ‘section writers’ assist in election data entry apart from preparing electoral roles and voter id cards.
“We have been working since 2007 and were paid `480 per day. Every financial year, a government order is passed clarifying on the daily wages to be paid that year. Last year the services of section writers working in Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram were extended for one year, but for section writers in Chennai, it was only extended for three months -- April 1, 2019 to June 31, 2020,” said one of the section writers in the city.
This, they allege, was because the Election Commission wanted to start recruiting section workers on contract basis and the workers were against it. “If we begin to work under a contractor, our wages will get cut by half. We opposed the plan, and since our services are indispensable and they needed our help for the local body elections, they extended our services for three more months,” said the section writer.
Following this, the section writers association approached the Madras High Court, which passed an order on July 9 that the workers in Chennai too must be allowed to work till March 2020. The temporary employees said though they stopped receiving salaries after June they still go to work. “When we go to office now, some officials act like they do not know us,” said another bereaved worker.
When contacted, a senior official from the Chennai Corporation said they would look into the High Court order and take necessary action.
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