Protest rally by temporary LIC staff seeking permanent employee status

These workers wish to be given all the benefits enjoyed by those on the rolls of LIC.

Over 750 temporary staff of the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) participated in a protest in Mumbai, demanding to be included in the rolls of India’s state-owned insurance group.

The All India National Life Insurance Employees’ Federation (ANLIEF), the national and registered union of the regular and temporary staff of LIC, organised this protest rally, at the Azad Maidan.

The issue is not a recent one, but originated in 1991, when a petition from the Federation was presented in the Labour Court demanding that 8,000 of its temporary staff be given permanent status in LIC. Despite the ruling of the Labour Court favouring the Federation, and LIC being ordered to absorb the staff in question, no action was taken to execute the same.

Almost 17years later, the Federation again appealed to the Supreme Court in 2007, reiterating their demand. The Supreme Court’s ruling in 2015 ordered LIC to not only absorb all workmen in its rolls but also pay them pending wages.

The press release from the Union revealed that despite the positive ruling from the Court, the concerned staff have still not been absorbed by LIC, and therefore, remain deprived of the benefits offered to the permanent staff.

Rajesh Nimbalkar, general secretary, ANLIEF, said that they sought the immediate absorption of the temporary staff and their recognition as permanent employees, in keeping with the Supreme Court order. He said that this was the Federation’s way of standing with their fellow workers in unity, to ensure that they receive justice and get what is rightfully theirs.

It is worth noting that most of these temporary workers belong in their 50s, and for them to get a lucrative job at this stage in life would be a big challenge.