The Times of India              03.09.2013

Civic panel likely to decide on wage hike tomorrow

AURANGABAD: The civic standing committee is likely to take a decision on the long-pending proposal of wage hike of its class IV and class III employees at a meeting on Wednesday. The administration has proposed that the hike, as per the recommendations of Kaka Kalelkar Commission, should be effective from January 2013.

Citing the poor financial condition of the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), the administration has said that hiking the salary with effect from October 2012 would not be economically feasible. The AMC will incur an additional expenditure of Rs 2,71,440 per month to accommodate the hike, the proposal says.

As per the proposal, the daily wages of class IV employees would be increased from Rs 295 to Rs 340. In case of class III, the hike will be from Rs 365 per day to Rs 430 per day. About 156 class IV and 66 class III employees are offering their services to the AMC on daily wage basis for 15 years.

Meanwhile social activist and founder-president of Kamgar Shakti Sanghatna, Gautam Kharat, said marginal hike in the wages of the employees would not solve the issues. "They are working with the AMC for more than 15 years and most of them have almost crossed 50 years of age. They should be absorbed on permanent roll as no other employment options are left for them," he said.

If it is not viable, Kharat added, wages for the contractual employees should be at par with their counterparts on permanent roll.

Deputy municipal commissioner Suresh Petgaonkar, however, said that as per the Supreme Court's verdict, the employees could not be absorbed on permanent roll. "Every year we have to take approval of the general body to renew the contracts of these employees," he said.