Several contract pourakarmikas gathered at the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) head office on Friday demanding minimum wages of Rs. 6,900 per month as notified by the State Government.

S. Balan, president of the BBMP Guttige Karmikara Sangha (affiliated to All-India Trade Union Congress), told The Hindu on an average, contract pourakarmikas are paid Rs. 1,900 per month, a difference of nearly Rs. 5,000. There are more than 13,000 contract pourakarmikas in 198 wards under the BBMP.

On Wednesday, he said, there was a reconciliation meeting with the Additional Labour Commissioner Gurudas Bhat, the 40 garbage contractors and senior BBMP officials.

“The Labour Commissioner passed an order directing the BBMP to pay the notified wages. BBMP is the principle employer of the pourakarmikas. If the BBMP fails to do so, the Commissioner has threatened to cancel the contract licences of both the civic authority and garbage contractors,” he said.

He said the High Court has also directed the BBMP to pay the minimum notified wages. “By not [doing so] the BBMP is in contempt of court. How can the pourakarmikas, who are mostly Dalits, pay rent and educate their children? Despite submitting several memorandums, there has been no relief.”

In comparison

Mr. Balan said that pourakarmikas in Chennai and Goa get Rs. 9,000 a month, those in Hyderabad get Rs. 8,000 and in Delhi, they get Rs. 16,000. “The BBMP collects solid waste management cess from citizens. Why can't the cess be collected to cover the difference in wages of the pourakarmikas?” he said.

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