MANGALURU/BENGALURU: State Pourakarmikas Association has demanded that the state government regularise the services of all 33,000 sanitation workers. President of the Association Narayana Gowda told media persons in Mangaluru that Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had announced on Monday that permanent status has been granted to 11,000 pourakarmikas while the rest are under direct payment.
The All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) also hit out at the state government for not regularising the services of all pourakarmikas. “This is an injustice to all pourakarmikas who are awaiting permanent jobs. We have protested in June, demanding regularisation and the CM had assured in writing that our demands will be met in three months, and a committee was formed which made suggestions to ensure social security. But on Monday only 11,000 were regularised,” he said.
He warned that if the government fails to fullfil their demand, they will halt waste management related works, and launch a massive protests. “The cabinet decision is disappointing. It is contrary to the written assurance of the CM to the pourakarmikas, who were on an indefinite strike. More than 27,000 direct payment pourakarmikas are working in urban local bodies of the state. All direct payment pourakarmikas should be made permanent,” the AICCTU said in a statement.