Port Blair, Sept 22: The General Body meeting of the Andaman Sarvajanik Nirman Vibhag Mazdoor Sangh (ASNVMS) being held at Port Blair on 22.09.2019 noted with grave concern the decision of the Andaman and Nicobar Administration to retrench/offload 11% daily rated workers working in various Divisions of APWD. The meeting noted with grave concern that a Circular dated 3rd September, 2019 conveying the above decision has been issued by the APWD.
The General Body meeting noted that about 4800 daily rated mazdoors are working in the Divisions and APWD Chief Enginee’s office at Port Blair. The meeting noted that these workers were taken into the service of APWD to perform regular nature of work as about 3000 posts of various categories are lying vacant in the Work Charged establishment of the APWD. Due to administrative reasons, these posts could not be filled up and to carry out the work, the workers were engaged on daily rated basis. These workers were engaged for a multifarious work like road work, maintenance work of government quarters and offices, supply of drinking water, technical works, watch and ward duties, office works, etc. The meeting meeting noted that these workers have been working in the APWD for the period ranging from 20 years to 5 years. These workers have been working in the department on the hopes that one day they will be brought on to regular service. Due to their engagement in the APWD these workers, particularly those in outstations, could not devote their time for preparation for the recruitment examination for appointment to various posts under the Administration. They have dedicated their lives for the upliftment of the APWD and there is no scope for them to seek a better job in any other department. The General Body meeting of the ASNVMS noted with concern that even those workers who have been transferred from APWD to other departments have not been paid their duty wages for the month of August, 2019 so far. Neither the APWD nor the department to which these workers were transferred take any step to draw and pay the duty wages. The workers are facing immense hardship due to non-receipt of their wages.
The meeting further noted that while the workers were on agitation in front of the office of the Chief Engineer, APWD in the first week of August, 2019, the APWD vide letter No. 10-227/CE/PWD/ES-III/2019/4719 dated the 8th August, 2019 addressed to all the Superintending Engineers and all Executive Engineers of APWD and copy to ASNVMS, communicated certain instructions regarding deploying of daily rated mazdoors of APWD to other departments especially to Electricity Department. These instructions were 1. Female Daily Rated Mazdoors may not be spared to Electricity Department due to specific nature of work, 2. Daily Rated Mazdoors who have benefitted with the 1/30th pay plus DA under APWD may not be spared to other Department and 3. Spare only junior-most Daily Rated Mazdoors to other Departments. The meeting further noted that violating the above instructions and in violation of Sections 25 F, 25 G, 25 N, etc. of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, the Divisional Heads (Executive Engineers) have been found preparing for retrenchment of the workers at their will and wish. The General Body meeting of the ASNVMS, therefore, urges upon the authorities in the Andaman and Nicobar Administration and Andaman Public Works Department to desist from retrenchment of daily wages workers from APWD and continue to allow them perform their duties. The General Body meeting resolved that in spite of this request, if the authorities disengage the workers on whatsoever ground, the Union will be forced to go for industrial action including strike besides resorting to legal action as per the procedure established by law.
The General Body meeting further unanimously decided to challenge the above-said circular dated 03.09.2019 and retrenchment notices issued by Executive Engineers, under Andaman Public Works Department, before the court of law and further decided to authorize Shir B. Chandrachoodan, President of the union to take all legal recourse on behalf of the union before the court of law.
