Seeking fulfilment of their various demands, including implementation of minimum wages for head load workers, implementation welfare schemes and gratuity for head load workers over the age of 60 and others, head load workers staged a protest in Hubballi on Tuesday.
The protest was held under the aegis of Federation of Karnataka State Head Load Workers in front of the Mini Vidhana Soudha.
Leading the protest, State general secretary of the federation Mahesh Pattar, local unit president Basavaneppa Neeralagi, general secretary Gurusiddappa Ambiger and others demanded that their long-pending demands be fulfilled.
Mr. Pattar demanded that welfare programmes for head load workers should be implemented under the aegis of Social Security Board for the State unorganised sector workers and steps should be taken to mobilise funds on the lines of the Labour Welfare Board.
He said that although minimum wages for head load workers have been fixed, they are yet to be implemented. He urged the government to initiate the requisite measures for its implementation. Steps should also be taken for providing houses to the shelter less head workers, he said.
Subsequently, the protestors submitted a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister listing out their various demands.
Some of their demands include the implementation of Provident Fund facility for head load workers and others of the unorganised sector on the lines of West Bengal, facilities such as PF, insurance and bonus for hamalis and continuation of Kayaka Nidhi scheme for covering medical expenses.
Poster released
Subsequently, at a programme held at Durgad Bail in Hubballi, posters of the mega rally to be held at Freedom Park in Bengaluru against the anti-people policies of the Union government were released.
The mega protest rally is being held in response to a call given for a nation-wide agitation by the Joint Action Committee comprising farmers and labour unions.
