BENGALURU: Hundreds of Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) workers staged a protest in front of the Karmika Bhawan at Dairy Circle on Wednesday demanding minimum wages stipulated for urban local bodies. The protesters work at various sewage treatment plants in the city. There are around 700 workers in 36 treatment plants in the city. The workers demanded same-pay-for-same-work and job regularisation.
The protest was called by the All India Centre of Trade Unions (AICTU). BWSSB Chairman Tushar Girinath assured the protesting workers that an order to pay minimum wages would be issued on Thursday.
Hanumantharayappa T (38), a pump operator, who has been working at KR Puram STP for 12 years draws only `8,760 a month. “After deductions for ESI and PF, I get `7,200 only. Regular employees, who did the same job before us got `40,000 to `50,000. We do waste water management treatment, treat the sludge with bare hands, get into sumps that are 12 to 14 feet deep. Sometimes we are provided with safety gear and sometimes not. The operation and maintenance of the KR Puram plant has been given to Manjunath Enterprises. They pass the buck to BWSSB and the Board in turn blames the private company who has got the tender to operate,” he said.
“According to the Contract Workers (Regulation and Abolition) Act, we want the contract workers to be paid the wages they are entitled to, regularised and want the contract system itself to be abolished. Among them are sanitary workers who work on manholes, wallmen, and operators. The union representatives and BWSSB Chairman will meet the Labour Commissioner on January 8 for a tripartite meeting,” said V Shankar, vice-president, AICTU.
Jagadeesh K H, CAO, BWSSB, said, “The contract workers are comparing their salary with those of regular employees who have been in service for 25 years. For different categories, there are different hikes. Moreover, the operation and maintenance of these plants has been given to private companies for seven years. We acknowledge that they have to be paid minimum wages and they will be. As far as abolition of contract system goes, that is a policy decision and we cannot do anything about it.”