Civic staff end stir on government Assurance – Economic Times

BENGALURU: Pourakarmikas, civic workers of Bengaluru who keep neighbourhoods clean, withdrew their protest on Tuesday after the state government announced the abolition of the "exploitative" contract system. Henceforth, the workers' wages will be paid directly to their bank accounts and not to contractors.

Nearly 40,000 pourakarmikas from all over Karnataka had struck work since Monday, with over 4,000 of them camped at Banappa Park in the city, resulting in garbage pile-up across the city.

The protest was called off after Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya and Municipal Administration Minister Eshwar Khandre assured them that their demands will be met.

Their demand for regularisation of service and modalities involved in direct wage payments will be discussed in an official meeting on June 20.

"The loot ends today," Anjaneya told the pourakarmikas. "The oppressive contract system will be abolished and your salaries will be paid directly by the municipal corporation," he said. Presently, payment of pourakarmikas' wages happens through contractors who employ them.

"It's a major victory," said advocate Clifton D'Rozario, who represents the BBMP Contract Pourakarmikas Association. "For many years now, we've been high lighting how problematic the contract system is. Hundreds of crores have been misappropriated by the contractor-official nexus. The contractor system has also meant that pourakarmikas, mostly Dalits, have been subjected to bonded labour-like work conditions."

But the protest is not over entirely."The protest has been postponed till June 20. We will resume our protest if the government fails to keep its word," Karnataka Safai Karmachari Federation president Narayana said. "There are 15,000 vacant posts of pourakarmikas.These were sanctioned in 1995 and much has changed since then. The sanctioned strength has to be reviewed," he added.

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Civic staff end stir on government Assurance - Economic Times