BENGALURU: Over a hundred link works associated with Greater Bengaluru Authority’s (GBA) Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) have claimed that from April this year, their salary dues of Rs 14,600 have not been cleared.
“We have been told by engineers that due to a fund crunch salaries have become irregular. There are over 150 such workers who are facing the same situation,” said Bhagramma, a senior link worker from Bengaluru South City Corporation.
Similarly, Rani, another link worker from South City Corporation, said that a protest at GBA head office at N R Square was held by 190 link workers a few months back and then Chief Operation Officer Ramamani had assured to look into the issue, including that of equal work and equal pay demand.
Some workers claim that they have been working for the last 20 years. Initially, they used to conduct awareness on polio and its vaccination and other health programs under the civic body’s health section, and later, their role was to conduct garbage management, check black spots, coordinate with health inspectors and marshals to impose penalties on people littering and others services.
Ramamani stated all the files related to the salaries of link workers have been signed and sent to Finance Department of the Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Department. A senior official from the Finance Department stated that till March, salaries have been cleared and engineers concerned have not submitted the bills.
“The salaries will be cleared and the link workers will get them directly into their accounts, once the FD gets the bills,” said the official.