Contract valvemen, sewage treatment plant operators and sanitary workers at the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) are going on an indefinite strike starting Tuesday. 

The board has a 2,300- strong contract workforce. Most of the staff have been doing non-clerical jobs for the past 10-15 years and say the BWSSB doesn’t pay them enough. Adinarayana, a contract worker, said staffers like him did more work than regular employees. “The regular staff work only for eight hours and are paid no less than Rs 50,000 a month simply because they are on the regular pay scale,” he said. “We put in long hours and have to fight for even the minimum wages. The BWSSB promised us a bonus but till date, nothing has moved forward.” 

As part of the strike, the workers will hold a sit-in outside the labour commissioner’s office.  Kemparamaiah, the BWSSB’s engineer-in-chief, insisted that contract employees were being paid as per their cadre.

“We hired them on contract because the government has instructed us not to employ Group ‘D’ workers on a regular basis,” he added.