Bhubaneswar: As many as 198 outsourcing employees of the 112 State Emergency Response Centre (SERC) staged a protest at Kaushal Bhawan in Bhubaneswar after allegedly being laid off without prior notice following the end of their contract.
The employees Monday alleged that when they reported for duty, they were informed that their services had been terminated as their contractual tenure had expired.
According to the employees, they were hired under an outsourcing arrangement and had been serving for the past five years.
As their tenure ended Sunday, they alleged they were removed from service without any prior notice from the department. After learning of the development, the employees tried to speak with 112 Control Room Administrative Officer Deepak Nayak, but he allegedly refused to hold discussions with them.
“We were laid off without any notice. We have families and have been working here for the last fi ve years. Our salaries for the past two months are also pending. We want our dues to be cleared and our contracts renewed,” said one of the protesters, Kisan Chand.
Another agitator, Laxmipriya Sahoo, said, “Our job period has ended, but we were not given any prior notice before termination. We were also denied entry into the building to collect our belongings. We need justice and renewal of our jobs.”
The employees alleged that a new agency has been engaged for the service along with a fresh batch of workers to replace them. It may be noted that the employees had staged a similar protest April 11, pressing a 10-point charter of demands that included timely monthly salary disbursement, wage revision from Rs 12,000 to Rs 30,000, regular deposit of EPF and ESI contributions, initiation of job regularisation, reinstatement of employees dismissed over the past year, and improved shift timings with an end to workplace harassment.
The employees have warned of intensifying the agitation if their demands are not met. The protest has also raised concerns over possible disruption of emergency response services across the state.