Guwahati, March 19: The Board of Sports of Assam Workers Union will launch an agitation from Wednesday in support of their five-point charter of demands.

The general secretary of the union, Sailendra Choudhary, today announced that employees of the board would stage a sit-in demonstration at the R.G. Baruah Sports Complex from 11 am to 1 pm on Wednesday. The complex houses the board office and a chunk of its assets.

The decision to hold the sit-in was taken at a meeting of the union on March 7, where it was decided that the agitation would continue if the demands were not met.

The demands include pay on a par with state government employees under Dispur’s revised pay rule of 1996 and regularisation of services of temporary and contractual workers.

They have also demanded that a permanent secretary be employed for the board, which is currently being looked after by the director of sports and youth welfare. Another demand is that funds available with the BSA should be utilised for the welfare of the board.

Besides, the employees have sought a revised system of payment of salaries, whereby their pay will be released in the first week of every month. They also want the Employees’ State Insurance scheme abolished and medical benefits to be extended instead. State government employees are entitled to a number of medical benefits.

“We have been facing several problems, but abstained from agitating (during) the last three years, keeping the 33rd National Games in mind. We have repeatedly moved the authorities as well as the state government, seeking redressal of our grievances. But we have yet to receive a positive response, even though the Games concluded a month ago,” Choudhary said.

The union has also asked the board to compensate some of the employees, whose salaries were deducted “illegally”. The members accused the authorities of high-handedness and alleged that leave due to certain employees had been denied as a means of harassment.