Contractual Sanitation Workers of JNU Hold Work Boycott for Eight Days

The Contractual Workers of JNU organised under the banner of AICCTU led a struggle demanding payment of bonus and other rights of the workers.

On 22nd October, workers of LHMC (Lady Harding Medical College) Hospital Complex and JNU held a protest demonstration under the banner of AICCTU at the office of Chief Labour Commissioner demanding implementation of Payment of Bonus. While LHMC has written in their  contract with service providers that payment of bonus is to be implemented in the workplace, JNU has refused to comply by the act. It is to be noted that despite inclusion of the act in their contract, LHMC does not provide bonus to its workers.

The office of Chief Labour Commissioner said thatthey will intervene in the matter to get the law implemented in both the workplaces.

In the absence of any intervention by the labour office resulting in non payment of bonus till 30th October, the sanitation workers of JNU started a movement by boycotting their work. More than 300 sanitation workers held the work boycott for eight days. The workers made sure that the administration notices how the campus looks when it is not kept clean and hygienic by the workers.

Due to the valiant struggle of the sanitation workers, the JNU administration was forced to sit in a negotiation table with representatives of AIGKU. The union representatives were verbally assured that the contracts will be amended to include Payment of Bonus. They also assured that no money will be deducted from the salary of the workers for the number of days they held the work boycott. The union representatives were also assured that other violations like non provision of salary slips and necessary safety equipment for work will be halted immediately.

The JNU administration has not provided a written statement regarding the same till now. The AICCTU is committed to force the JNU administration and LHMC hospital complex to abide by the law of the land and force the service providers to pay legally mandated bonus to the workers.