Garbage piles up in Mangaluru as safai karmacharis stage protest

MANGALURU: With the indefinite state-level protest of safai karmacharis and drivers on a contract basis entering the third day at the Freedom Park in Bengaluru, the door-to-door collection of waste has been hit in the coastal city. A protest is being held, demanding direct payment for the drivers who are on contract.
K Narayana Shetty, district president, Safai Karmachari Sangha, Mangaluru, said that several demands of the sanitation workers on contract have been pending.
At the Mangaluru City Corporation, the variable dearness allowance (VDA) that was sanctioned for April and September, has not been released. Also, workers on contract are not provided with breakfast, which was announced in 2017, he said.
The Rs 2,000 monthly risk allowance announced by the chief minister is not being 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 have not been provided for the staff, said Shetty.
About 111 pourakarmikas’ jobs were made permanent the last October. There are about 800 workers on contract in Mangaluru. Last year, from July 1 to 4 a protest was held and the government had asked for three months to look into our demands, he said. With elections round the corner, the workers are hoping that their demands will be met.
Meanwhile, MCC commissioner K Channabasappa, said waste collection has resumed in the city. Private and corporation vehicles have been deployed for waste collection. Men and materials are being mobilised. For the time being, 36 vehicles have been deployed. More than 100 drivers are part of the protest.