BENGALURU: Hundreds of Link Workers working with the Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) protested at the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) head office and encircled BSWML Chief Operating Officer Ramamani on Thursday, demanding the immediate release of eight months of pending salary dues.
Representing the Link Workers, union leader Shashikala, who serves in Kamakshipalya in the Rajajinagar Layout Assembly constituency, said 284 workers working in the Indian Population Project unit under the Department of Health and Family Welfare were deployed in the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike around 25 years ago.
They were working in municipal clinics and hospitals, ensuring the implementation of health programmes such as Pulse Polio awareness among the public, visiting homes for surveys and vaccination programmes, and spreading Information Education Communication (IEC) messages among the public for a salary of Rs 300.
However, after being deployed in the solid waste management department in the civic body, their roles allegedly shifted to segregating waste, conducting inspections at hotels and restaurants, taking photographs of daily waste collection and reporting to concerned officials, election-related work and surveys, all for a meagre payment of Rs 6,000 in 2014.
After sustained struggles and revisions, the payment was raised to Rs 14,884 in 2020, but the payments continue to be irregular.
"There is growing concern now as the Link Worker will be put under a three-year contract term under the Swachh Bharat Mission in BSWML. We have asked the Chief Operating Officer, BSWML, to release the eight months’ dues as the Ugadi festival is approaching, as well as to absorb us under the 'Direct Payment' scheme under GBA."
Echoing similar concerns, Tejaswini, a Link Worker from the Bengaluru North City Corporation, said workers begin their work at 6 am and remain in the field until 4 pm.
"Apart from waste segregation, we are also used for the OBC reservation survey, election-related work as Booth Level Officers and school awareness programmes. We do not have washroom facilities when we are in the field. We hope CM Siddaramaiah, who comes from a socialist background, is not neglecting poor Link Workers," she said.
The workers have demanded that, apart from releasing eight months of salary dues, they should be absorbed under the 'Direct Payment' mode under GBA.
"Apart from the direct payment demand, we also seek ESI, health insurance and other benefits," demanded Tejawathi, a Link Worker at Gandhinagar.
Indumathi, a Link Worker from the Sarvajnanagar Assembly constituency, said that in the past, in 2018, when BBMP was in place, the civic body had delayed salaries for one and a half years, which pushed workers into distress.
“The loss of my husband, delay in salary and debts all pushed me to attempt suicide,” said Indumathi.
Responding to the protest, COO Ramamani, who received the representation from union members, stated that three months’ salary dues will be released immediately and that the other demands will be placed before higher authorities.