Protest by Contract and Outsourced Workers in Front of Bihar Legislative Assembly

On March 19, 2025, hundreds of contract and outsourced workers affiliated to the  “Bihar Rajya Anubandh Mandaya Seva Karmi Sanyukta Morcha” (Joint Front of Bihar State Contractual Honorarium Employees) staged a sit-in protest in front of the Bihar Legislative Assembly in Patna. Their demands included regularizing their employment, granting them state government employee status, increasing their honorarium by 53%, providing gratuity benefits, and implementing a minimum pension of Rs 10,000 under EPF. The protest strongly condemned the state government's anti-worker policies.

The protest march began at noon from Gate Public Library in Gardanibagh and culminated in a sit-in at the designated protest site. The demonstration was led by Shivshankar Prasad, Premchand Kumar Sinha, Ranjivay Kumar, Rambali Prasad, Sushil Kumar Chaturvedi, and Kavita Kumari.

Speakers accused the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of failing to increase the honorarium of contractual and outsourced employees for the past six to seven years and of ignoring the recommendations of a high-level committee. They criticized the BJP-led Nitish government for failing to address the concerns of contract workers, who were facing economic hardship despite 20 years of so-called development.

Leaders demanded that the government immediately implement the high-level committee’s recommendations regarding the regularization of over a million contract, outsourced, and scheme workers. They also called for equal pay for equal work, paid leave, gratuity, and other benefits. They demanded a one-day debate in the ongoing Assembly session to discuss a 53% increase in honorarium, improvement in salary structures, and better service conditions.

It was highlighted that only the movement of contractual and scheme workers forced the government to form a high-level committee in 2014 but the Nitish government failed to implement its recommendations and betrayed contract workers. Even after several years of service, many employees were still not granted regular employment or retirement benefits like gratuity.

Workers from Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya and other central projects demanded that the government ensure minimum wages as per central norms and provide job security instead of outsourcing.

The protest included participation from various unions such as Bihar State Education Council Employees Union, Executive Assistant Service Association, Bihar Pradesh Farmer Advisory Association, ITI Employees Union, Block Coordinator Association, Sanitation Supervisors and Employees Association, Lohia Swachh Bihar Mission Contract Employees Association, Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya Employees Association, DMCH Hostel Daily Wage Workers Association, State-Level Data Entry Operators Unity Forum, Rural Housing Assistants Service Association, SWAN Employees Association, Water Conservation Employees Association, and Bihar Health Contract Employees Association.

Shivshankar Prasad made the concluding remarks, urging the government to take immediate action.