BBMP Contract Pourakarmika Workers Association staged a protest today at BBMP head office about the pending salaries for the past two months.
Around 1,000 workers participated in the protest. They demanded that the system of paying salaries through contractors should be done away with and be paid directly by BBMP. The pourakarmikas say that the contractor usually pays only half the salary, that too as cash and not via cheques. They also demanded for minimum wage and proper identity cards.
Pourakarmikas protesting at BBMP head office. Pic: Sankar C G
“We are not getting minimum wage on time as mentioned in the Payment and wage Act. Salary is in pending since the last two month. How can we meet our family expenses without getting the salary,” said S Balan, President of BBMP Contract Pourakarmikas Association.
Finally the protesters dispersed after getting an assurance from the Deputy Mayor that the salary will be distributed via cheques at the council meeting that going to be held on 29th of May.
But the decision has not pacified some of the protesters, many of them don’t have bank accounts. “We don’t have id card, ration card or any kind of id proofs. So we cannot open bank accounts. Without having bank account how can we withdraw money with these cheques,” said Vanaja M S, a pourakarmika from MS Nagar.⊕
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