Govt issues GO on equal pay for equal work for UPNL employees

my uttarakhand news Bureau

Dehradun, 3 Feb: In a major relief for UPNL employees, the Uttarakhand government has finally issued orders implementing the principle of equal pay for equal work. After a long wait, the decision has come as a significant breakthrough for thousands of employees who had been agitating for years over this demand. The UPNL Employees’ Organisation had been staging protests and strikes, which were later withdrawn following assurances from the government. Now, in compliance with court directions, the state government has formally issued orders granting equal pay for equal work to eligible UPNL employees from April.
As per the government decision, UPNL employees who have completed ten years of continuous service as on November 25, 2025, will now be entitled to equal pay for equal work. The cut-off date for determining eligibility has been fixed as November 12, 2018. The government has issued instructions in this regard to all departments. Eligible employees will receive pay benefits equivalent to the basic pay scale of the post along with dearness allowance, leading to a substantial increase in their remuneration.
Secretary, Sainik Kalyan, Dipendra Chaudhary has issued the order on behalf of the Uttarakhand government. According to the order, unskilled workers will be entitled to pay at Level One, semi-skilled workers at Level Two, skilled workers at Level Four, highly skilled workers at Level Seven and officers’ category employees at Level Ten of the basic pay scale, as admissible.
Welcoming the decision, Vinod Godiyal, President of the UPNL Employees’ Federation, expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami for what he described as a historic decision in favour of UPNL employees. He also thanked all the cabinet ministers and the members of the committees constituted for the purpose of revising the wages of UPNL personnel. He said the Uttarakhand government has taken a landmark step in the interest of UPNL employees, for which he and the entire federation are thankful.
Meanwhile, office-bearers of the UPNL Employees’ Federation also called on Sainik Kalyan Minister Ganesh Joshi at his camp office and expressed their gratitude for the issuance of the government order granting the benefit of equal pay for equal work to UPNL employees who have completed ten years of continuous service. The minister congratulated the employees and extended his best wishes, terming the decision an important move towards ensuring fairness and justice for UPNL personnel in the state.