Sugar sector workers of Maharashtra have threatened to stage a demonstration outside the state sugar commissioner’s office on August 28 to press for their demand for the formation of a tripartite committee to discuss wage hike and other facilities for them. Maharashtra Rajya Sakhar Kamgar Prathinidhi Mandal president Tatyasaheb Kale said that the wage agreement of workers expired on March 31, 2019 and since then they have been asking the government to constitute a tripartite committee.
The workers have written to the government from time to time seeking the formation of a new committee, however, the file has been pending at the CM’s office. “Therefore, the workers have threatened to stage a morcha outside the commissionerate office on August 28,” he said.
“We are also demanding a hike of 40% in wages in the new financial year,” Kale said, adding that the current situation is grim as workers have not been paid wages for 2 to 10 months.
Workers’ other demands include additional wages based on work hours, seasonal hike of `5,000 till a salary hike agreement is arrived at, night allowance of `50, monthly washing allowance of `400, monthly medical allowance of `600, monthly education allowance of `500, maternity leave for women workers, minimum 15 paid leaves and benefits for deceased and retired workers.
Recently, a delegation of the federation led by Kale and secretary Nitin Pawar met sugar commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad and handed over a memorandum of demands.
Gaikwad said the matter of formation of a tripartite committee was not under the purview of the sugar commissionerate as it pertained to the industry, energy and labour department.
As per recommendations of earlier wage committees appointed by the state government, salaries and positions of workers attached with sugar and allied industries should be fixed, Kale said.
They should be paid salaries and allowances as per their grades. Their minimum salaries should be fixed from April 1, 2019 and they should get 40 % hike in salary as per the government order issued for workers in the sector of industry, energy and labour department, he said.
