Contractual workers claim PF benefits!

 

A section of trade unions has demanded that contractual employees working in various state government departments be covered under the Provident Fund (PF).  They made the proposal in the regional committee meeting of the Provident Fund Authority recently.  According to trade union sources, the chairman of the meeting and state labor secretary Varunkumar Roy has assured to consider it.  However, according to the concerned parties, the financial pressure of such action is not less.

• What's the story?

Recently, the government has arranged to bring several contract workers of the state's public health and technical departments under the Provident Fund and Employees State Insurance (ESI) scheme.  This move will benefit the pump operators and valve operators of the department.  In this regard, the state has recently said in a statement that all the contractor companies that work on government contracts, must be registered in PF and ESI compulsorily.  Enrollment certificates for two projects should be submitted along with the tender form.  Otherwise, they will not be quoted.

• What's next?

Additional Central Provident Fund Commissioner Rajeev Bhattacharya said that in addition to the permanent PF Act, it is mandatory to bring all government and private contractual workers in this scheme.  According to EPFO ​​sources, many contractual government employees in eastern Odisha and Bihar have already been brought into PF.  3.58 lakh contract teachers in Bihar are getting PF benefits.  The state has recently issued a notification to permanentize 57,000 contract workers in Odisha.  As a result, they will also come to the Bhavishyanidhi project.  For this, the annual cost of Odisha is going to increase by 1300 crore rupees.