Following reports earlier this week of contract workers protesting in the western city of Mangalore, 17,000 government contract workers from Bangalore have announced that they will stage a protest in the city’s Freedom Park next month, reports The New Indian Express.

The President of India’s Labourers’ Association, Mr Nityanandaswamy told reporters that a meeting chaired by Social Welfare Minister H Anjaneya, was held on 17 May in Bangalore: “The [meeting] discussed payment of minimum wages to workers and providing them other facilities. But no action has been taken on those decisions.”

“There are 17,000 workers, including cooks, assistant cooks and watchmen working in these hostels and residential schools. They have been recruited through outsourcing agencies. Though they have been working since decades, minimum requirements such as provident fund and minimum wages are not fulfilled.”

“Though the workers share of the provident (pension) fund is being deducted promptly, there were no records of the government’s share. The government itself is violating the Minimum Wages Act. Workers have not been paid for the last four months. They do not have recruitment letters, wage slips and even identity cards. Those who question them are threatened with dismissal.”

“With the decisions taken in the Minister’s meeting not being implemented, we have no option but to go on strike,” Mr Nityanandaswamy explained. 

The Bangalore workers are demanding a minimum monthly wage of INR 10,000 (USD 163) to be paid by their recruitment/outsourcing firms during the first week of every month.