UPNL workers demand equal pay for equal work, removal of 10-year service condition

PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun

The Uttarakhand Purva Sainik Kalyan Nigam Limited (UPNL) workers on Saturday demanded equal pay for equal work and urged the State government to fully implement the Supreme Court and High Court orders in the matter. Addressing the media here on Saturday, Amit Bhardwaj said that the government is currently extending the benefit of equal pay for equal work only to those who have completed 10 years of continuous service. He claimed that there is no specific provision prescribing such a condition, but the benefit was still being restricted on the basis of the length of service.

Bhardwaj said that the Supreme Court and High Court orders provide for equal pay for employees performing equal work. He said that despite the court orders, around 11,000 UPNL workers were being deprived of the benefit. He also claimed that workers in various departments had already received the benefit of equal pay for equal work, while UPNL employees were still waiting for its implementation.

The workers demanded that the government implement the court orders in their entirety and ensure that workers performing the same duties and carrying similar responsibilities are not treated differently on the basis of their years of service. He said that the 10-year condition should be removed and all eligible workers should be considered for the benefit in accordance with the court directions.

The UPNL workers also warned that if their demand is not addressed at the earliest, they will launch a protest across the State.