Most of them were not aware of what the three-day strike was for
On Saturday morning, when the city’s pourakarmikas returned to work after a three-day strike, not only did they have to struggle with the rotting mounds of garbage, mixed with slush, but they also had to face irate residents, who questioned them about their protest.
Surprisingly, many of them did not know the reason for the strike, or for that matter, what led to its withdrawal.
When asked if she knew that her unions were protesting the fact that engineers had been booked under criminal cases, Suvarnalatha (35), a contract pourakarmika, said she did not even know who the engineers were. “We report to our contractor, and he told us that there was no work,” she said.
It took her three extra hours to clean up the mess, which had collected since Wednesday, having to scrape it off the road in some places. Another contract worker, Kalyani, who works in HVR Layout, said she too did not know what the strike was for. “When we went to work, they simply told us to go home. No questions.”
Irony
The irony of this “strike” was that the contractors, who pay these workers a pittance as monthly salary set their agenda this week.
Anjanamma, a contract pourakarmika in Dasarahalli, said that contractors and Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials do not listen to their grievances. When approached, BBMP officials were quick to palm off the blame on contractors. “Those who are now protesting are just using our names. But they have never supported us.”
For more impact
Then why did the pourakarmikas agree to strike in support of these engineers and employees? It turns out they did not.
Jayamma said she was told that even if they worked, their register would not be signed. This version is corroborated by senior officials and even the Mayor who admitted at a press conference that these workers were coerced into the strike to increase its impact.
The Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force head R.P. Sharma also told The Hindu that the “support” by pourakarmikas was a farce, and that they were being forced not to lift the garbage.
Keywords: pourakarmikas, workers' strike, BMTF
A moribund state government, a BBMP full of charlatans, our fate as
Bengalurians is sealed. A responsive government would have called these
corrupt officials' bluff and ensured that the civic body did its job.
Next time around, I hope the powers that be declare ESMA and ensure that
there is no break in clearing garbage.
I'm surprised to see the residents reactions- as mentioned in the
first paragraph. Does 3 days of garbage really become so difficult to
manage at home?? Proper segregation can actually help one easily
manage a week's garbage. And what do they gain by getting irate on the
poor pourakarmikas..!!?? We, the so called civilized people act like
morons at times. I wish I could do something for the pourakarmikas.
All these people getting angry on the pourakarmikas should be made to
face the difficulties the workers face while cleaning up the crap,
which doesn't even belong to them.
It is painful to see the unhygienic conditions these folks work. Let alone give them proper tools to work, a minimum of gloves? We are not third world country, I think we are third class country. Our nations lacks visionary leaders and has only looters!
The photo is an eyesore and I pity the plight of the workmen and the callousness of Indians in disposing off trash as they wish besides the gross incompetence of Mayor and Commissioner. BBMP must atonce issue a public appeal through Media to deposit rubbish in a closed paper/plastic bag at the nearest dust bin segregating plastics and non-plastics. The cleaning operations must be taken up at night with pukka final disposal mechanism. Also, shop owners must be told to keep their outside space clean & neat. We cannot continue the existing practice forever.
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