Contractual security guards working at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) have alleged that they are being asked to pay Rs 40,000 each to continue their employment under a newly appointed private contractor.
According to the workers, representatives of AE Securitas, Security and Allied Services allegedly demanded money from guards during the continuation process and asked them to submit cash along with their employment documents. A complaint letter signed by around 370 security guards has been submitted to the JNU Registrar regarding the alleged extortion.
The matter has also been formally raised before the Deputy Central Labour Commissioner by All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), which is representing the affected workers.
The guards further alleged that they were instructed to submit documents at Katwaria Sarai instead of the company’s designated office, raising concerns over illegal collection of money and intimidation.
Many of the affected guards have reportedly been working in JNU for the past 10 to 12 years under contractual arrangements and are now facing uncertainty regarding their employment.
“AICCTU strongly condemns the ongoing extortion racket targeting contractual security guards in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and has formally filed a complaint before the Deputy Central Labour Commissioner against the JNU administration and the newly appointed security contractor, AE Securitas, Security and Allied Services,” the union said in a statement.
The union also alleged that similar incidents had surfaced in the university earlier, including complaints involving sanitation workers and other contractual staff.
“The latest incident exposes how corruption and labour exploitation are being systematically nurtured inside JNU under the present administration led by Vice-Chancellor Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit,” the statement alleged.
“It is clear that the present administration is functioning hand in glove with private contractors who are extracting bribes from poor workers desperate to retain employment. Such practices are turning a public university into a centre of corruption, intimidation, and anti-worker exploitation,” it added.
The union has demanded immediate action against AE Securitas and concerned JNU officials, protection of existing workers from retrenchment despite the contractor change, and a full inquiry into the alleged corruption network.
There was no immediate response from the JNU administration or AE Securitas regarding the allegations.
