Pourakarmikas Back to Work after Ending their 13-Day Strike
Mangaluru: As many as 870 workers were on strike since 13 March 2023 demanding direct appointment and direct payment The outsourced sanitary workers of Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) who were on the strike since past 13 days, resumed their duties from Sunday, 26 March 2023 after ending their strike.
It is a relief for homeowners and businesses that the drivers and loaders engaged in the collection and transportation of solid waste from the doorsteps and the workers involved in the operation and maintenance of the underground drainage network, wet wells and sewage treatment plants have resumed their duties. With this, normalcy in solid waste and sewage management is expected to return in another two days.
Meanwhile, the “War Room” which was functioning from the office of MLA Vedasvyas Kamath to help people to clear garbage from their doorsteps and other places, will continue to function for two more days. As per the classification, of 54,000 Pourakarmikas in urban local bodies across the state, 17,000 have been regularised as government employees, while 26,349 Pourakarmikas have been directly recruited but not made permanent on the government scale.
Several demands of the sanitation workers on the contract were pending. At the Mangaluru City Corporation, the variable dearness allowance (VDA) that was sanctioned for April and September 2022 was not released. Also, workers on the contract were not provided with breakfast, which was announced in 2017. The Rs 2,000 monthly risk allowance announced by the chief minister was also not provided. A special leave salary for 21 days is also not given to the workers. Several facilities like providing workers with gloves, gumboots, changing rooms for women, toilets and drinking water facilities were not provided for the staff. About 111 pourakarmikas’ jobs were made permanent in October 2022. There are about 800 plus workers on contract in Mangaluru. Last year, from July 1 to 4 a protest was held and the government asked for three months to look into our demands.
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