The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Daily wage workers are worst-hit by truckers’ stir

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Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Daily wage workers are worst-hit by truckers’ stir

G. Vishnu, Divya S. and Lashika H. Mehta

‘Since yesterday, we have not earned more than Rs. 50’

BANGALORE: In his mid-30s, Sampa, who earned around Rs. 400 a day has not earned more than Rs. 50 since the last two days. Forget a decent meal, he is now forced to borrow a mere Rs. 10 to reach his home on Mysore Road.

Sampa travels to the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) yard at Yeshwanthapur and is among thousands of daily wage workers, who have been among the worst hit following the all-India truckers’ strike that commenced from Sunday midnight. “When we get work, we usually earn between Rs. 200 and Rs. 400. But since yesterday, we have not earned more than Rs 50. I am reaching home with a loan of Rs. 10 for bus, let alone food, tea or liquor,” says Sampa.

Several porters expressed their fears about the days to come with the truckers continue their strike. “At the end of the month, making ends meet becomes excruciatingly difficult. Our family questions us for every paisa we earn, spend and bring home. Something like this (strike) takes a hit on us, let alone paying the bills,” said G. Ramamurthy (30), who like many others spends Rs. 20 just for his transport, even as he earns around Rs. 500 a week.

“Strikes render us with heavy loans, which we will never be able to pay as we have enough loans already,” laments Ramamurthy. A college drop-out, D. Vijay says: “The government and the truckers are warring, and we are the casualties, and the government never bothers about us.”

Babu, who drove his truck from Chitradurga, has lost his wages for three days while expenses have mounted. “Dealing with the problems created by various government officials, risking our health without proper sleep or food, we drove till here just to know that there’s a strike and the sales are down. It is a loss of my daily wages which would be about Rs. 1,000 for three days,” he said.

The porters at K.R. Market, who have already witnessed their daily wage plummeting in the recent months owing to recession, have been at the receiving end. Ranganatha, a porter, said, “We get minimal daily wages. If we do not get it, life becomes much more difficult for us.”

Depending on the work they do, traders pay porters Rs. 500 and also Rs. 50 to Rs. 70 towards food expenses. “In these times, we are getting a maximum of Rs. 400. But the truckers’ strike has reduced wages drastically, and we earn only when we get work. Otherwise we are just getting money for our food,” another porter said.

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