Govt gets high court notice on wage policy

A division bench of the Gujarat high court has issued notices to the state government and its four departments following a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by an NGO seeking fair wages for government employees appointed on a fixed pay basis in various government departments including the police. The bench adjourned further hearing of the PIL till August 4.

Advocate DJ Bhatt, on behalf of Yogkshem foundation for human dignity, submitted in the court that, the government has been employing people on fixed pay basis in various department for  a term of five years.  Police rakshaks and vidya sahayaks have been employed in the police and education department with a pay scale of Rs2500 per month for five years.

While class-4 employees are paid Rs1500 for five years and grammitras get Rs1000 for a period of three years.  On this fixed pay scale, the government has given employment to 15000 police rakshaks, 1.50 lakh vidya sahayaks, 2.50 lakh class-4 employees and 30,000 grammitras.

Bhatt submitted that such kind of fixed pay scale appointments are unlawful and it violates the rule of minimum wages apart from reflecting the inhuman policies of the state government.

Bhatt further submitted that the government should be a model and ideal employer but instead has failed to provide fair living wages. In fact the wages provided by the government is even worst than the private sector, Bhatt said.

The foundation had earlier filed a PIL before the high court and the government was ordered to take decision in accordance with law over the issue. However, no steps were initiated by the government in this direction.