HYDERABAD: Cantonment workers heaved a sigh of relief as the Union labour ministry issued a statement earlier this week, confirming their pensions would be preserved as per the existing Cantonment Board rules, and service conditions would not be altered due to the impending excision policy.
Additionally, the ministry had promised to settle pending dues and promotions before implementing any changes.
The excision policy, which aims to reorganise and restructure the cantonment boards across the country, had raised concerns among employees about the fate of their pensions, service conditions, and job security.
Mahender Akula, cantonment workers union head, said that the announcement had taken a weight off their shoulders.
"We've dedicated our lives to serving this cantonment, and it's reassuring to know that our pensions and service conditions won't be jeopardised."
Meena Gulika, another long-serving employee, added, "We appreciate the government's understanding of our concerns. We hope this commitment extends to preserving our pay scales as well."
The workers hope that the Ministry's statement would mean that the cantonment workers' pay scales would either remain the same or see an increase as per their seniority and experience.
A third cantonment worker, with the water department, emphasised that their experience should count for something.
"We hope the government will further acknowledge our experience and pledge to maintain our pay scales. This will ensure that our financial stability remains intact. We also hope that the jobs given will match our previous work and will be non-transferable, as this is the only reason many of us took these up in the first place," he said, adding that compassionate appointment of kith and kin of workers should be considered too, given that the waiting list now stands at 102.
The cantonment workers have also appealed to the Centre to involve them in the decision-making process to ensure their concerns are adequately addressed.
The promise to preserve or enhance pay scales based on seniority and experience has also provided a glimmer of hope for these employees who earlier, held a protest two months ago, demanding the same. As discussions regarding excision and merger continue, workers are confident that their voices will not go unheard amidst all of this.
