Bengaluru: With no end in sight to their wage woes, BBMP’s contract pourakarmikas went on strike on Thursday. This is the second agitation in a little over a month.
The pourakarmikas, who play a key role in keeping the streets clean, are protesting the non-payment of increased wages and arrears from August this year. Several members of the BBMP Contract Pourakarmikas Association protested outside Mayo Hall demanding that the civic agency pay their arrears immediately.
“In August this year, approval was given to increase salary from Rs. 7,024 to Rs. 14,040, but we are still being paid the old salaries.” said Maitreyi, a member of the BBMP Contract Pourakarmikas Association.
“During the last protest, we were told by the commissioner that our demands would be looked into immediately, but there has been no progress. This time around, we received old salaries again,” Maitreyi added.
Other demands include implementation of a government order to provide toilets, drinking water, changing rooms and other amenities to workers. They are also asking for the introduction of a weekly offs and national holidays and festival holidays.
“BBMP’s senior officials met us today and assured us that the formalities for payment of salaries would be completed by 29th of this month,” said a pourakamika. “We will wait and see, but if it’s not done, we have no choice but to go on strike,” another protester said.
