- Urges for better pay, job security, and reforms
Bhopal: The All Departments Outsource Joint Struggle Forum has written to the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, demanding urgent action to improve the wages, working conditions, and job security of nearly one million outsourced workers employed across various government departments and public sector undertakings in the state.
Forum leaders Manoj Bhargava (State Convenor) and Dinesh Sisodia (General Secretary) stated that Madhya Pradesh’s outsourced workforce receives almost half the minimum wages and fewer benefits compared to similar workers in central government and other states. They have urged the state to immediately implement the minimum wage and welfare benefits already in place in states like Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Andhra Pradesh.
Due to severe staff shortages, many outsourced workers are unable to take leave, worsening their work conditions. The forum also demanded an increase in sanctioned outsourced positions to address this issue.
Referring to Tamil Nadu’s recent move to gradually eliminate outsourcing in key departments and switch to direct recruitment, Bhargava urged Madhya Pradesh to follow suit and honor its 2023 BJP election manifesto (page 81) by granting outsourced workers contractual status and official recognition, especially in critical sectors like healthcare and energy.
The letter also calls for the dismantling of the current exploitative contractor system. Instead, the forum recommends establishing a dedicated Madhya Pradesh Outsourcing Services Corporation, modeled after Haryana’s Kaushal Rozgar Nigam or UP and Andhra Pradesh’s outsourcing corporations. This move would eliminate the need for frequent tendering, save costs, end the 5% contractor commission, and protect workers from exploitation.
