Pourakarmikas working on a contract basis with the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) staged a protest in front of the palike headquarters in Bangalore on Friday over non-payment of salaries.
Complaining that they had not been paid for June and July, Muniraju, president of the BBMP Contract-Based Pourakarmikas Okkoota, said there are 12,000 of them in the city, 95 per cent women. “Their salary of Rs. 6,936 is withheld with no reason,” he said.
Participating in the protest, Aniyamma, a pourakarmika, who came from Goripalya, said she has to receive Rs. 5,054 after the deduction of PF and ESI.
“My house rent is Rs. 1,500. For the past two months, I am finding it difficult even to buy household items,” Ms. Aniyamma said.
“I have to pay the school fees of my three sons,” lamented Anjanamma, a pourakarmika from J.P. Nagar. “Even the broom we buy with our own money. I don’t understand why we are being discriminated against,” said Narasamma from Byatarayanapura.