Upset with the State Government ignoring the demand for direct payment of salaries to outsourced civic workers, the Karnataka Rajya Pourakarmikara Sangha will stage a symbolic protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Mysuru on March 11.
Sangha President D. R. Raju told reporters in Mysuru on March 10 that the government of Karnataka had disappointed the outsourced workers by not keeping its promise to include their demand for direct payment of salaries in the recently presented State Budget.
While 530 pourakarmikas are on the rolls of Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), about 1,650 others are receiving their monthly salaries directly from the civic body. However, the remaining outsourced workers, including loaders, drivers of garbage clearance vehicles and Under Ground Drainage (UGD) cleaners, estimated to be around 700 in MCC, continue to receive their salaries from a private agency, he said.
The outsourced workers are paid about ₹15,500 per month out of their salary of ₹17,000 after deducting their contribution towards Provident Fund and Employees State Insurance (ESI).
In the rest of the district, another 600 such civic workers in 12 urban local bodies continue to receive their salaries from the private agency, said Mr Raju.
By holding a symbolic protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office on March 11, the association wants to highlight its demand to the government to ensure that the salaries of these outsourced workers are also paid directly by the respective civic bodies.
“If the salaries are paid directly by the civic body, the employees will have job security. If the private agencies pay, the salaries will not be deposited on time,” Mr Raju said before urging the State Government to revise the salaries to a minimum of ₹25,000 per month in view of the rising costs.
Apart from the outsourced workers of MCC, the loaders, garbage van drivers and UGD cleaners of 12 other urban local bodies, including Hootagalli City Municipal Council (CMC), Hunsur and Nanjangud CMCs, K. R. Nagar Town Municipal Council (TMC), T. Narsipura-Bannur TMC, and the town panchayats of Periyapatna, H. D. Kote, Sargur, Ramanahalli, Bogadi, Srirampura and Kadakola will also hold a demonstration to press their demand.
Mr Raju did not rule out the possibility of garbage clearance activities being affected in Mysuru and other parts of the district on March 11 due to the protest.
“The protest is just a symbolic start of the struggle,” said Mr Raju adding that their agitation will be intensified if the government does not respond positively to their demands.
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