Manual labourers involved in the transport of foodgrains, employed at the Karnataka Food Civil Supplies Corporation godowns, have threatened to go on a strike from January 6.
Poorly paid, these head load workers are involved in the loading and unloading of foodgrains for the Anna Bhagya scheme.
They alleged that most promises made by the government, after they held a protest in August, remained on paper.
Anjappa, a labourer from Bangalore, said most workers toil for at least 10 hours a day, and make a salary that ranges between Rs. 3,000 and 5,000 a month.
The payment is based on the number of quintals they load and unload, and each quintal fetches them a mere Rs. 6.
“It is hard work as the two quintals are divided into two sacks, you can imagine the weight we are carrying and how strenuous it is. How is Rs. 6 for a quintal a fair wage,” he asks.
Mr. Anjappa says that they do not get work every day, which makes their financial condition worse.
They are also demanding regularisation of work, identity cards from the Food and Civil Supplies Department and access to ESI hospitals.
Other demands “The government had promised to take up our issues after the Assembly elections, but they have not done so. And our repeated appeals have been ignored. We will step up our agitation if the government continues to ignore us.”
