Thane: MP Naresh Mhaske took a significant step in addressing the long-standing issues faced by retired and contractual employees of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) by meeting with Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao. The discussions focused on pending dues for retired employees, unresolved issues concerning municipal staff, and various demands from contractual workers.

During the meeting, Mhaske and Commissioner Rao reviewed the grievances presented by the employees, including overdue payments and the implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations. The Seventh Pay Commission, approved for municipal employees in 2016, faced delays in implementation. Despite the formal application of the pay commission's recommendations in December 2022, issues remained for employees who retired between 2016 and 2019 due to technical difficulties.

The employees expressed their gratitude towards MP Mhaske and Commissioner Rao for addressing their concerns. "We appreciate the efforts of MP Mhaske and Commissioner Rao in addressing our demands," said one of the representatives. "Their support is crucial in resolving these issues."

MP Mhaske highlighted several key demands, including:

Health Department Issues: Increasing remuneration and recruiting temporary staff working under the National Civil Health Mission and National Tuberculosis Eradication Program since 2015. The categories affected include medical officers, nurses, midwives, pharmacists, laboratory attendants, X-ray technicians, city program managers, city accounts managers, general health managers, city quality managers, and data entry operators.

Clerical Cadre Salary Differences: Addressing the discrepancies in the basic salary of clerical staff post-2016.

Contractual Staff Salaries: Enhancing the salaries of English medium teachers and retaining them in service, as well as addressing the remuneration for data entry and other contractual employees in the accounts and finance departments.

The meeting also covered the need for a review of the payment structures and working conditions for employees in various municipal departments. Commissioner Rao expressed a positive stance, assuring that necessary actions would be taken to address the issues raised.