Government’s Diwali Gift to ST-Employees: Revised Bonuses and HRA Starting November

On October 26th, a meeting was held between the State Transport Minister, officials, and representatives from various employee unions. The meeting included participants from the Workers’ Federation, Employees Federation, and Labor Confederation. In the meeting, decisions were made in the interest of the employees, such as the delay in the payment of dues to contract workers until after Diwali, the disbursement of House Rent Allowance (HRA) starting from November, discussions on the grade pay and salary of senior and junior employees, issuance of annual leaves through letters, provision of additional compensation to the families of deceased employees, and the provision of a bonus to part-time employees before Diwali. The discussion on overtime pay for fixed-salary employees and the advance of the higher festival to fixed-salary employees was also on the agenda.

The State government has announced that it will provide a Diwali bonus of INR 7,000 to Class 4 employees. This decision applies to a wide range of Class 4 employees in various government departments, including the Panchayat, Grant-in-Aid (recognized employees), and Board Corporation. More than 21,000 employees falling under Class 4 will benefit from this decision, which ensures that they receive a bonus of INR 7,000 ahead of the Diwali festival.

The government of Gujarat has accepted the demands of ST (Scheduled Tribe) employees regarding various issues, including Diwali bonuses and improvements to House Rent Allowance (HRA). Following protests and demands from ST employees, the government has agreed to provide an improved Diwali bonus for Class 4 employees.

Additionally, the government will implement a 4% increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) for ST employees starting from January 2023, and this DA hike will be paid from December onwards. Various aspects, such as the Fixed Pay Policy and discussions on senior and junior pay scales, will be addressed.

Regarding other demands, the government has also informed that arrears for arrears and questions related to Class 4 employees have been accepted. Earlier, after ST employees protested, the government had announced a significant improvement in DA for them. Furthermore, for the first time, a Diwali bonus will be provided to ST employees for the coming year.

In recent times, ST employees had been actively protesting and raising their concerns about various issues, such as a 7th Pay Commission hike and concerns about overtimes. The government has been taking these concerns seriously and addressing them in various ways.