Employees of Anna Centenary Library in Kotturpuram have moved the Madras High Court for a direction to the State government to frame ad hoc or special rules governing their employment.
In the alternative, the government should extend to them the benefits conferred by labour legislations.
In a petition, A. Alagusundari of Sellur, Madurai, librarian and information assistant grade-I, said, the government had created 195 posts through a government order in March 2010. At present, there are 99 employees. The petitioner said all the employees put in long hours of work, without any benefits.
In spite of a lapse of nearly four years, no service rules, much less ad hoc rules, had been framed. Women employees had been deprived of maternity leave.
Statutory benefits such as insurance, provident fund, holiday/leave and increments had not being paid to them, said Ms. Alagusundari. Justice R.S. Ramanathan has ordered notice, and adjourned the matter for further hearing after four weeks.