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Full-time workers of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) in West
Bengal, popularly known as 'whole-timers', have appealed to the
party leadership for a pay rise to overcome financial difficulties.
Some of them are paid as little as Rs 300 per month while most are
paid around Rs 1,000, the lowest salary prescribed by the Minimum
Wages Act.
The party has never disclosed the number of wholetimers on its
rolls, or their salary bill. However, underpaid workers m far-flung
districts have slowly started applying pressure on the party to get
a better deal.
Party bosses, though, have shown no inclination to revise pay
scales even though it has ample funds. In fact, the net worth of
its moveable and immovable assets acquired in the last 20 years is
estimated to be crores of rupees.
In fact, CPM spokesperson and editor of the party's Bengali daily
'Ganashakti', Anil Biswas, denies that there is discontent among
wholetimers
Veteran CPM leaders said wholetimers, who constitute the backbone
of the party apparatus, will no longer be available once economic
conditions improve in West Bengal.
Class-divisions and 'categorisation' also rankle. A state committee
or district secretariat-level wholetimer's cost of hospitalisation
is born by the party. But this facility is not available at lower
levels.
In South 24 Parganas district an unmarried wholetimer draws Rs 900
per month; wages go up marginally after marriage. In Darjeeling,
it is Rs 700, in Burdwan known as the 'Red Bastion', it ranges from
Rs 700 to Rs 1,000 but some senior leaders draw between Rs 1,200
and Rs 1,300.
In Midnapore, the largest district, some wholetimers are paid only
Rs 300 per month, local committee members get Rs 500, zonal
committee members Rs 800, district committee member Rs 1,000 and
district secretariat members Rs 1,500. Only the district secretary
draws Rs 1,800.
All CPM MPs, MLAs, ministers and Zilia Parishad office-bearers
surrender their official salaries and allowances to the party,
which determines the wages payable to them as wholetimers. Many
aggrieved MLAs do not turn up in the Assembly as the lion's share
of their daily allowances are 'appropriated' by the party.
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