Mid-day meal workers seek status of govt employees

GURGAON: Mid-day meal workers along with other contractually hired non-teaching school staff from across the state have decided to boycott the 2024 polls if their demands remain unmet.
The workers are demanding the status of a government employee, remuneration for all 12 months of a year and reimbursement for their uniform costs that the department has mandated.
The mid-day meal workers were not paid for their services from last November to April, which led to several protest meets across the state. Facing a blow from the ground, the state government had raced to clear the payments in May.
Mukesh, the state head of the group D employees’ union, said, “The employees engaged in these schools for 15 to 20 years have not been given the status of regular employees yet. Nor are they being given equal pay for equal work.”
Those posing demands include midday meal workers, sweepers, cleaners and guards, who were hired as part-time or contractual employees.
A delegation of group D employees reached the residence of the minister of school education, Kanwar Pal Gujjar, on Monday and put forth their demands. Several midday meal workers took to streets in Rewari and other areas of the state as well.
“We will discuss the issues of the group D employees in a meeting being held on Tuesday at the directorate of education. We are hoping we can come to a solution together,” Gujjar said.
Non-teaching staff have asked the government to come to a decision by next Tuesday. If their demands remain unmet, they will strike and stage an indefinite sit-in at Yamunanagar.