· Amidst the pandemic, the contract pourakarmikas of Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), who are the COVID-19 warriors, struck sanitation work on Thursday seeking direct transfer of salaries to their bank accounts. This disrupted solid waste collection and disposal
· They withdrew the strike and promised to resume their duties from Friday on condition of early settlement of their demand with a warning of going on strike once again if the issue was kept in abeyance for long
Shankar Bennur
In yet another breather for the authorities here after the doctors’ strike was called off recently, pourakarmikas of the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC), who went on a strike suspending sanitation work across the city on Thursday morning, agreed to get back to their duties from Friday after getting an assurance for the direct transfer of wages to their bank accounts.
Nearly 1,700 pourakarmikas working under the contract system, who struck work, had been demanding direct transfer of salaries from the MCC to their accounts, since the last two years. They had been getting salaries from the contractors and they sought discontinuation of this system for various reasons. In the past too, the contract civic workers had protested but they stayed away from their duties this time, affecting the collection and disposal of solid wastes.
This had become a concern for the authorities over the COVID-19 pandemic since the collection of waste from the infected persons’ homes was being done by the workers, who are COVID-19 warriors, wearing PPE kits. “The strike had affected hygiene works across the city this morning,” an MCC official said.
However, the 1,000-plus pourakarmikas on MCC pay rolls worked as usual.
The reported delay in meeting the civic workers’ demands was attributed to the pandemic since not many council meetings had taken place and senior MCC officials, including Commissioner Gurudatta Hegde, met the striking workers, promising to address their demands soon.
Former Mayor Narayana, who heads the State association of pourakarmikas, told The Hindu that the strike had been called off after an assurance for transferring the wages to their accounts. “If they fail to do so yet again, we will go for strike once again, fully disrupting the sanitation works in the city,” he warned.
With the same demand, they wanted to go on a strike during Dasara last year but they were convinced to take back the strike call.
Mr. Narayana said the Deputy Commissioner, Mysuru, had already issued orders for the same and all other clearances, including from the Finance Department, had been secured. The arrangement is possible only when the council ratifies the order. We have been promised that the matter will be placed in the next meeting,” he said.