HEC workers protest outsourcing move

Organised under the aegis of the HEC Supply Mazdoor Sangharsh Samiti, the workers began their agitation on July 1, a day after the new arrangement started. Agitation is currently ongoing. Manoj Pathak, one of the agitating workers playing a leading role under the guidance of retired HEC employee Dilip Singh, told Hindustan Times that the agitation will continue until the HEC management finds a suitable solution to ensure better service conditions for the old workers.

- Raj Kumar

“Under the old arrangements, supply workers used to get quarters at subsidised rent, paid holidays, 18 days of earned leave, 7 days of casual leave, besides dearness allowance and promotion. By introducing new contractors through the GeM portal, the company is attempting to snatch all these facilities. Workers will not allow this to happen, as the majority of workers are either those whose ancestors gave up land for the establishment of HEC or those whose parents died during their HEC service,” Pathak said.

On Thursday, the AJSU Party, an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), extended its support to the agitating workers and warned the HEC management of dire consequences if it attempted to deprive workers of the facilities they are currently receiving.