Contract workers strike for direct remittance in urban bodies

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Urban Local Bodies Contract Workers Association has launched an indefinite strike to disrupt drinking water supply management and cleanliness services throughout the state.

The government's policy of continuing to outsource employees is being criticised as they demanded direct remittance for the 15,000 outsourced employees working in the state's urban local bodies along with civil servants.

This includes water supply personnel, helpers, cleaners, operators and sanitary superintendents. These workers have been contracted out despite the recruitment of civil servants in 2017. The Municipal Administration Act of 1964 recognises outsourced employees as loaders, cleaners, and civil servants.

However, the policy of continuing to outsource employees is seen as discriminatory towards urban development and a misdemeanour to bring the outsourced employees to direct payment in July. Discrimination continues to take place in the form of payment based on recruitment despite the similar nature of work among all employees.

The urban development officials do not consider it fair to bring the contract employees under direct payment. Naganna Gowda, president of Karnataka Urban Bodies Contract Workers Association, said, “The drinking water supply is disturbed, and the distribution is damaged. The government will be blamed for their failures too and they will eventually yield to restore.”

On February 22, the urban development secretaries were requested to complete the direct remittance process. He also added that the association had given the government time till March 10 to announce changes. Following inaction, an indefinite strike has been launched in the background to stop drinking and cleanliness throughout the state