Daily wage workers in Kolar demand release of salaries

Daily wage workers of the hostel run by the Social Welfare Department in Kolar staged a protest demanding the release of their wages, withheld for 13 months.

They told officers that they would not come to work until their salaries are released. “If this creates an inconvenience to students or the government, the department is responsible,” they added.

Staging a stir in front of the Social Welfare Department office on Tuesday, they claimed that workers at the pre-matric hostels, including cooks, have not been paid for 13 months. “Staff at post-matric hostels have not been given a salary for six months but nothing has been done about this, even after repeated requests,” they explained.
“It is difficult to live without wages for so long. The department should take immediate action to release our salaries,” protesters demanded.

The Social Welfare Department officer Sanjappa later discussed the matter with protesters and promised to release their salaries within eight days. “The matter will be immediately brought to the notice of the Department and we will try to obtain grants, so that we can pay the salaries,” he said.

Protesters withdrew the stir after the officer set a deadline to release the salaries.
Workers Manjunath, Suresh, Chowdappa, Venkataramana., Srinidhi, Lakshmamma, Venkatamma, Narayanamma, Muninarayanamma, Chinnamma, Rathnamma and others participated in the protest.