In a coordinated effort, sanitation workers in multiple cities across Karnataka, including Bengaluru, Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Vijayanagar, and Koppala, went on strike to protest the contract system of employment on Monday, March 20. The workers demanded an end to the system, which they said was impacting their earnings and job security. The workers, including drivers, loaders, cleaners, data entry operators, and underground drainage pipeline workers, had previously staged a two-day strike in February, but their demands were not met, leading to renewed protests.
The sanitation workers, who are predominantly from Dalit communities, also gathered at Freedom Park in Bengaluru to demand an end to the contract system of employment, which affects their earnings. The BBMP Pourakarmika Sangha, which is leading the protest, has been urging the government to abolish the contract system and bring all workers under direct payment for the last few months. They are calling for drivers, loaders, and cleaners of garbage collection vehicles to be made permanent, as assured by the state Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai in a written assurance following a strike in July 2022.
While the pourakarmikas who sweep the streets, have been brought under the direct payment system under the BBMP, the drivers, helpers, loaders, and cleaners, who also collect, transport, and dispose of garbage, continue to be employed under a sham contract system, according to The Hindu.
The workers are demanding that the government fulfills its promise to make all pourakarmikas permanent and bring the drivers, loaders, and cleaners under the direct payment system. If their demands are not met, the workers have announced their intention to march to Vidhana Soudha, the state legislature and seat of government.