Sacked for highlighting pay disparity, former PRO approaches rights panel

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A former PRO of the Kerala State Literacy Mission Authority has approached the State Human Rights Commission over his arbitrary sacking for highlighting pay disparity.Pradeepkumar S was terminated on February 22, though the contract was valid till June 5. He said he was only paid minimum wages prescribed for employees with Class X qualification. 

A postgraduate diploma in journalism with 15 years of experience in mainstream media, Pradeepkumar was appointed PRO in December 2014 on a monthly pay of Rs 11,500. The previous administrative council of the literacy mission had sent a recommendation to the government to enhance his minimum pay to Rs 40,500.  

However, in 2016, the present LDF government revised his basic pay to Rs 22,000, which is prescribed for literacy teacher (Category V) with Class X as minimum qualification. Pradeepkumar told the Commission that providing him lesser pay was in gross violation of the Constitutional principle of ‘equal pay for equal work’.