Computer operators and IT professionals working with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) staged a protest outside the civic body’s head office here on Friday morning, seeking a hike in their wages and due payment of salary.
The protesters, whose contract expired a few months earlier, demanded that their salaries be paid regularly on the fifth of every month. "We have to make several requests to officials to get our salaries every month," rued Palaniswamy G.K. of the BBMP Computer Operators' Union.
Sanujakshi, president of Computer Services’ Association, has been working as a computer operator in the BBMP since 2008. “We were promised a hike a few years ago, but our salary has remained the same,” she said, adding that most computer operators had passed their PU and some held bachelor degrees. The current monthly salary for computer operators is Rs. 7,420.
Later, the protesters submitted a memorandum to BBMP Commissioner, who assured them of looking into their demands.
As many as 462 contract employees work at various BBMP offices in the city, while the IT department has 37. With most of them striking work, BBMP officials said data entry work in the various BBMP offices and revenue offices was affected.
“The strike has not affected the public. We expect that the strike to be called off in a couple of hours. Some services such as data entry may be delayed,” an official said. He also attributed the delay in payment of salary to the delay in submitting bills on the part of the agency providing the contract employees.
