Pourakarmikas call off strike

June 15, 2010 04:43 pm | Updated 04:43 pm IST - BANGALORE:

Pourakarmikas have called off their strike temporarily following an agreement with the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike here on Monday.

Nearly 2,000 pourakarmikas and contractors from all eight zones of the BBMP met B. Heera Nayak, Joint Commissioner of the BBMP's Mahadevapura division, and it was agreed upon that the contractors would pay those working on contract basis the notified wages i.e., a basic pay of Rs. 2,571. However, S. Balan, General Council Member of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), said that they will keep the struggle on till their demands for “equal pay for equal work” is met.

He said that they are planning to hold a State-level convention to make pourakarmikas in all the districts aware of their rights. Their demands also include statutory benefits and provision for safety gear such as gum boots, uniform and soap. “It is a hazardous profession. We need these things. Also, how does the BBMP expect these workers to survive on such a meagre income in a city like Bangalore?” he asked.

Inconvenience

Meanwhile, it was yet another messy day in the city as the strike entered its fifth day. The deadlock left the city streets in a state of clutter as popular shopping destinations and business hubs, including Commercial Street, were at their untidiest best leaving people greatly inconvenienced.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.