BENGALURU: Hundreds of ‘link work’ employees, attached to Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML), protested at the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) head office on Thursday and gheraoed BSWML Chief Operating Officer (COO) Ramamani, demanding the release of eight months’ salary dues.
Ramamani, who received representations from the union members, said three months’ salary dues will be released immediately, and other demands will be placed before higher authorities.
Representing the link workers, union leader Shashikala, who serves in Kamakshipalya, said 284 workers were at the Indian Population Project unit under the Department of Health and Family Welfare. They were deployed around 25 years ago by the erstwhile BBMP, and were working at municipal clinics and hospitals on health programmes like Pulse Polio awareness among the public, visiting homes for surveys and vaccination drives, and Information Education Communication (IEC) programmes for a salary of Rs 300.
However, after deployment with the solid waste management department, there was a change in their roles, like segregating waste, inspecting hotels and restaurants, taking photos of daily waste collection and reporting to officials, election work, surveys etc, all for a meagre payment of Rs 6,000 in 2014. After a struggle, it has revised to Rs 14,884 from 2020. But these payments are irregular, Shashikala alleged.
“There is growing concern now as the link workers will be put under a three-year contract under the Swachh Bharat Mission in BSWML. We have asked the BSWML COO to release eight months’ dues as Ugadi is approaching, and to absorb the workers under the ‘Direct Payment’ scheme under GBA,” she added.
Tejaswini, a link worker from Bengaluru North City Corporation, said they begin work at 6am and work till 4pm on the field. “Apart from waste segregation, we are also used for OBC reservation survey, election-related work as booth officers, and for school awareness. We do not have washroom facilities when we are on the field. We hope CM Siddaramaiah, who comes from a socialist background, will not neglect poor link workers,” she said.
“Apart from direct payment demand, ESI, health insurance and other benefits should be given,” said Tejawathi, a worker in Gandhinagar. Indumathi, from Sarvajnanagar, said in 2018, BBMP had delayed salary for 1.5 years, and she had sunk into depression after losing her husband. “Loss of my husband, delay in salary and debts, all pushed me to attempt suicide,” said Indumathi.