Members of the Karnataka State Gram Panchayat Employees’ Association have launched an indefinite strike demanding minimum wage and fulfilment of other long-pending demands here on Monday.
The gram panchayat employees from Dharwad, Hubli, Navalgund, Kundagol and Kalghatagi taluks took part in the agitation.
Association district president B I Iliger said, the employees have been demanding implementation of the directions of the Department of Labour on the wage structure for long. But the minimum wage and facilities like Provident Fund and gratuity have not yet been fulfilled. A larger numbers of gram panchayat employees were working without any social security since long, he said.
Iliger said, the labour department had issued orders fixing the minimum wages for the employees according to the provisions of the Minimum Wage Act 1948 in 2011.
But, most of the gram panchayat bodies in the state have not yet implemented the minimum wages. The gram panchayat being the grassroot administrative bodies not implementing the government order is a serious offence. Hence, the authorities concerned should take note of this issue and initiate corrective measures, he said.
Major demands of the association include paying the minimum wages from the gram panchayat tax funds before the 5th date of every month. As per the orders of the labour department, the minimum wages of Rs 7,122.40 for the bill collectors and computer operators, Rs 7,011.90 for the pump operators, Rs 6,790.90 for the peons, Rs 5,687.20 for the sweepers should be provided without delay.
The system of paying the honorarium for the elected members of gram panchayats from the salary grants should be stopped. The government should pay them the honorarium directly. The government should do away with outsourcing and appoint staff directly, Ilager said.
The agitation in front of the zilla panchayat would continue till there is assurance by the Government regarding fulfilling their demands, Iliger added.
