The porters serving with the warehouses of Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Corporation (KFCSC) staged a protest in the city on Monday demanding higher wages and the strengthening of the social security net.
Addressing the protest meet, social activist B.A. Ramesh Hegde said that at present, an amount of Rs. 5 is paid as a wage for loading or unloading a bag of food grain weighing one quintal at the warehouses. “A porter manages to earn around Rs. 250 per day. Owing to the low wages, the porters find it difficult to meet their daily expenses,” he said, pressing for increasing the wage to Rs. 10.
Mr. Hegde added that often, many porters suffered injuries at work. He said that it was necessary to extend health insurance and provident fund facilities to them.
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The protesters also submitted a memorandum to Additional Deputy Commissioner Nagaraj in this regard. The president of District Porters Association Bore Gowda and vice-president Siddappa were present at the meet.