In response to the call given by the joint forum of trade unions, workers took out a protest rally in Hassan on Tuesday. Hundreds of anganwadi workers, midday meal workers, plantation workers and contract employees took part in the procession from the Hemavati Statue Circle to B.M. Road. They staged a dharna at N.R.Circle, blocking traffic movement.
They demanded a hike in minimum wages for employees of unorganised sector, abolition of contract labour, repeal of anti-farmer laws, and end to privatisation of public sector units. The protesters said that the lockdown imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic left lakhs of workers in misery. The governments did not come to their rescue but extended financial assistance to corporate companies. The new liberalisation policy adopted by the Union Government had increased unemployment and poverty, they said.
The protesters came down heavily on the government for the steep hike in fuel prices. With the increase in the price of petrol and diesel, the cost of essential commodities had gone up many times. The governments had not responded to the problems faced by the poor, they alleged.
CITU leader Dharmesh, AITUC leader M.C. Dongre, M.B. Pushpa of Anganwadi Workers Association, Naveen Kumar of Karnataka Pranta Raitha Sangha, Pruthvi of Dalit Hakkugala Samiti and others led the protest.
Dharna
Similarly, non-permanent workers of the Karnataka State Child Protection Directorate staged a dharna in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Hassan on the day demanding their services be regularised. They demanded that the employees recruited through outsourcing agencies be provided with job security and return of GST and service tax deducted from their salaries. They also demanded that the government recruit them to fill up the vacancies in the department.
