Casual labourers attached to University of Agricultural Sciences Raichur (UAS-R) on Friday launched a demonstration outside the university campus where the Krishi Mela is underway.
Labour leader R. Manasaiah said that the university had gone back on its word about outsourcing work, and also alleged that it had been exploiting casual labourers the past 15 years and paying them smaller wages.
“We collectively opposed the university for outsourcing work that casual labourers had been doing for 15 years. Four rounds of negotiations were held between the university and the workers. The university had agreed to issue service certificate to workers and ensure that the existing workers would be taken on priority basis. However, it did not keep its words," he alleged. The 32 workers who led the agitation were denied work, he added.
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According to him casual workers in Raichur, Bheemarayanagudi, Raddewadi, Gulbarga, Bidar, Malur (Kavadematti), Gangavati, Hagari, Sirguppa and Dhadesugur research centres of the university, are being given work only 12 days a month at the maximum. "As per Minimum Wages Act, the workers are supposed to be paid at Rs. 269 a day. However, the contractors pay only Rs. 192 a day violating the Act," he alleged.
Their demands included providing work for 26 days a month, issuing service certificates to workers, terminating the contract of those who have not paid wages as per minimum wages act, initiate action against all those officers who have violated other labour laws and giving work to fired labour leaders.