Pourakarmikas protest before BBMP over pending wages

Even as the city celebrated World Environment Day on Tuesday, the sanitary workers, who ensure cleanliness, staged a protest before the BBMP, demanding action on several outstanding issues.

More than 100 pourakarmikas turned up before the civic body's headquarters, with children on toe, asking the authorities to clear their wages, kept in arrears for the past five months.

The demonstration, organised by the BBMP Guttige Pourakarmikara Sanghatane, also demanded that the Palike regularise their services and delete fake names from the biometric database.

"On top of the outstanding wages for five months, BBMP officials are harassing and threatening them with termination," said Lekha Adavi, an activist who led the protest.

Lekha said the workers are demanding clear-cut assurances regarding their wages and no termination, besides action against BBMP officials who had illegally threatened them.

Many brought their children along, saying the piling outstanding wages did not allow them to pay the school fees. "Though the academic year has begun, we are unable to pay the school fees, thanks to the pending wages," a pourakarmika said.

Sarfaraz Khan, joint commissioner for health and solid waste management, BBMP, held talks with representatives of the Guttige Pourakarmikara Sanghatane and workers, promising to solve the issues.

Another activist Vinay Srinivasa said the workers have called off the strike following the talks. "The BBMP has promised to clear the outstanding wages in three days and to update the biometrics with the details of the eligible workers, including issuing ESI and PF cards," he said.