CWA Reservoir & Pumping Station Attendants Fighting for Fair Working Conditions

For several years, the attendants at reservoirs and pumping stations of the Central Water Authority (CWA) have been struggling for justice regarding their working conditions and pay. Appointed to permanent positions on March 30, 2017, they have held numerous meetings, particularly with the Ministry of Labour, to address various anomalies affecting their jobs. However, to date, no tangible solutions have been reached.

The attendants are particularly frustrated that, despite working on a shift system, they have yet to receive the promised “Sunday allowances” designated for civil servants.

They report being overwhelmed with excessive workload, with some tasks being unsuitable for their grade. Consequently, they are demanding a review of their Scheme of Duty to better align with their skills and responsibilities.

“Although the Pay Research Bureau (PRB) report acknowledged our position, we are being treated like mere pump station guards,” they expressed.

In addition, they are calling for a reassessment of the overtime rates currently paid to them, arguing that the existing calculations do not accurately reflect the actual hours worked.

Furthermore, these employees saught a salary review based on their years of service within the organization, in line with the recommendations outlined in the 2021 PRB report, section 16.5.3, which categorizes them as workers.

Their spokesperson pointed out that according to the 2021 PRB guidelines, reservoir and pumping station attendants should work 40 hours per week instead of the current 60 hours.

Unfortunately, they lamented that no implementation of this directive has occurred, neither by the CWA management nor by union representatives, despite numerous representations made.

The attendants have also brought their concerns to their supervising ministry, the Ministry of Energy and Public Utilities, but have seen little success thus far.

A meeting took place on April 14, 2023, between CWA management and the attendants, during which management promised to consider their grievances, while indicating that a timeline was needed to implement the required changes.

However, the attendants continued to await concrete actions following this discussion.

Additionally, a public service circular stated that civil servants working on a shift system will be paid double on Sundays starting from January, as announced by the Prime Minister in his New Year’s message.

The government is expected to allocate a sum of Rs 6.7 billion to cover these allowances for over five ministries, including essential services such as police and fire departments.

Approximately 40,000 civil servants are expected to benefit from this measure.

Nevertheless, the reservoir and pumping station attendants, despite working on a shift basis, have not received any compensation since January.

“This equates to a financial loss of approximately Rs 40,000 per employee for the 60 affected CWA attendants,” they stated.

In light of this situation, they have brought the matter before the Labour Office and have alerted CWA management, but no developments have been noted.

They are now waiting for a meeting with the Ministry of Labour. Efforts to obtain a statement from the CWA have been unsuccessful.

Source: l’Express