PCMC Contract Workers’ Gratuity Must Be Protected
- Yashwant Bhau Bhosale demands PCMC to act as Principal Employer for 4,500+ employees
Pimpri : Labour leader and President of Rashtriya Shramik Aghadi, Yashwant Bhosale has demanded that the gratuity and bonus benefits of contract workers employed in various departments of the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) be secured.
Addressing a press conference in Pimpri, Bhosale said that the issue of gratuity (retirement benefits) and bonus concerning nearly 4,500 to 5,000 contract employees has been brought before the civic administration. He said that PCMC should take responsibility as the ‘Principal Employer’ to prevent financial exploitation of contract workers.
Bhosale explained that under the current system, when a municipal contract changes, the old contractor leaves. Even after working for several years, employees often fail to receive their gratuity after retirement or termination, as new contractors refuse responsibility for previous dues. He pointed out that many tender conditions do not clearly include gratuity provisions.
To resolve the issue permanently, Bhosale has suggested that PCMC should open a separate bank account as the principal employer for workers. He proposed that all future tenders should make it mandatory for contractors to deposit amounts towards employees’ gratuity, Diwali bonus, and other legal benefits into this account.
According to him, this system would ensure that workers’ accumulated gratuity remains safe with the municipal corporation even if contractors change, allowing employees to receive their rightful benefits without delay at the time of retirement.
Bhosale said that Mayor Ravi Landge and Standing Committee Chairman Abhishek Barane have supported the proposal and assured that necessary action will be taken soon to ensure financial security for contract employees.
