Their prayers for a regular pay scale languish in Supreme Court.
Government employees, getting fixed wages, may have to wait longer to be in the regular pay scale bracket as their case lurches from one adjournment to the other in the Supreme Court.
One-and-a-half years ago, the Gujarat high court brought smiles to the faces of thousands of fixed wage earners by declaring the fixed wages scheme unconstitutional and asked the government to absorb them in the regular pay scale category and give arrears, too. Though the government has appealed to the Supreme Court on the issue, the matter has been pending till date. It is alleged that the state government has no inclination to hear the appeal.
“The Gujarat high court had passed the order on December 20, 2011, and later the government filed an appeal. But the latter has been seeking adjournments one after the other for unknown reasons,” said Rajendra Shukla, founder of NGO Shree Yogkshem Foundation of Human Dignity.
The NGO had challenged the fixed wages scheme on the ground that the government employs youngsters for jobs against wages, which are even below the minimum wages criteria laid down by both the state and the central governments. Yet, they have to work and bear responsibilities similar to their colleagues enjoying regular pay.
“If the government lost the case in the Supreme Court, it has to pay hundreds of crores to the employees which would be a huge burden on the exchequer. We have filed our reply to the government’s appeal. But it is not inclined to conduct hearing by taking adjournments,” said Shukla.
“The government is not giving benefits of Provident Fund deduction and floated all labour laws through these schemes. Now, the matter is likely to come up for hearing on August 21,” he added.
The government is employing candidates for fixed wages in almost all departments, including education, police, etc. It has employed more than 1.5 lakh employees on fixed wages in the last few years.
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