Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Contract Pourakarmikas Union has demanded the civic body to immediately disburse pending salaries to the 17,000 contract pourakarmikas.
Speaking to presspersons on Wednesday, union president S. Balan said salaries for August and September had not yet been paid to the contract pourakarmikas. The October salary was due on November 7. Without the minimum wage of Rs. 5,054 per month that is due to them, the pourakarmikas were finding it difficult to meet monthly expenses. Yet, the BBMP and garbage contractors were only trading blames, while the pourakarmikas continued to suffer, he charged.
Mr. Balan said pourakarmikas in Indirangar and Cox Town, Jaibharat Nagar, Banaswadi, Jayamahal and R.T. Nagar areas had boycotted work since Tuesday demanding immediate as payment of their salaries. He alleged that neither the BBMP officials nor those from the Labour Department had taken any action to ensure that salary payments are made on time. He added that the pourakarmikas were also denied mandatory benefits, including conveyance allowance, leave, holiday and maternity benefits, rest room facility.
The other demands of the union include releasing of pending salaries to all the pourakarmikas, disbursing of salaries by the seventh day of every month, payment of minimum wages to all the contract workers, extension of ESI and PF facilities, giving identity cards for all pourakarmikas and cancellation of the licences of contractors who do not follow labour law.
