Contract BWSSB workers want ‘equal pay for equal work’, protest

Bengaluru: Over 500 contract sanitation workers gathered outside Cauvery Bhavan on Wednesday, demanding they be paid wages on par with permanent employees hired for the same job.
A brigade of sanitary helpers, valve men, metre readers, BWSSB ATM workers, data-entry operators and water tank/jetting machine drivers staged the protest under the banner of ‘Equal pay for equal work’.Their other demands include timely payment, direct salary remittance from their principal employer (BWSSB), 8-hour work day, weekly off, exemption from work on national holidays.
The workers alleged that in spite of BWSSB’s contract with an agency according to which the latter pays the outsourced workers’ provident fund and employee state insurance contributions, monthly risk allowance of Rs 2,000-3,000 and bonus of 8.3% of their wages, they haven’t been getting these payments consistently or on time.
The outsourced BWSSB workers said if their demands are not met with a response in 15 days, they will intensify their protest. According to them, they have empty PF accounts and ESI cards that don’t work when put to use.
Outsourced sanitary helper Anjanappa spent his last days paying Rs 4 lakh for hospital expenses despite being an ESI beneficiary. He passed away on February 21 after succumbing to on-duty injuries and comorbidities and his family had to pay the bill as his ESI card was not functioning.
The protesting workers told TOI most of them have had similar experiences and alleged their contractor does not remit the amount earmarked in their salary to ESI. They said they are paid through cheques and not provided a pay slip along with it, and thus are unaware of the break-up. But Shivanna, a field officer employed with the contract agency, said it provides salary slips to all. With the agency’s contract slated to end on March 31, workers are apprehensive about their future.
BWSSB chairman N Jayaram said he is aware of Anjanappa’s case and will help his family by reimbursing their medical expenses within a week’s time. He, however, said he has no information about non-functional ESI cards and absent salary slips.
“Direct payments like how BBMP gives to its pourakarmikas cannot be made here as the nature of employment is different. We will issue a fresh tender after this month and the outsourced employees will be treated according to those terms and conditions,” Jayaram said.