BENGALURU: Thousands of mid-day meal staff from all over Karnataka left their respective school kitchens and arrived in Bengaluru as early as 5am to reiterate what they first demanded 17 years ago. “Our demands have remained the same since the first year, and we continue working hoping to get better pay,” said 45-year-old Mallamma from Haveri district.
Most mid-day meal workers, like Mallamma, cannot give up these jobs for various reasons: their age, the lack of other employment opportunities in rural Karnataka, loans, or “drunkard husbands”.“I have left my drunk husband at home and come for the protest,” Mallamma said. Her son had to drop out of school to become a labourer.
She is one of thousands of women who participated in a two-day protest called by the Aksha Dasoha Bisioota Tayarakara Sanghatana, a federation of mid-day meal cooks. “Wages of Rs 2,600 a month is a mockery for women who feed numerous mouths at government schools,” said Sakamma from Channapatna. Each day she cooks for 260 students. Her day starts at 9am and ends at 3:30 pm.
Currently, chief cooks get an honorarium of Rs 2,700 and assistant cooks Rs 2,600 a month. This meagre amount too is often delayed.
“On March 31, the department relieves us from work, and we are given a new contract in April. Which means we have no salaries for two months. Even in October, when students get 10 days holidays, we do not get paid, “ said Pushpa from Haveri.
“Its like being employed as daily labourers for Rs 70 a day for a six-hour shift,” she added. Several women take out loans on a regular basis. “Loans are for day to day sustenance. Let alone indulgences. Once the salary arrives at the end of the month, we repay it,” she said. Workers ended their protest after the education minister agreed to meet them on January 27. However unable to go to their homes in far-off districts, the women camped on the road near Freedom Park on Tuesday night.
Their Demands
n Fix minimum wages
n Withdraw mid-day supply from Iskcon, private agencies
n Make labour laws applicable to them
n Pay salary by 5th of every month
n Provide ESI, PF, insurance, pension benefits