Contract workers at an electricity provider in Mangalore, located 350 kilometres west of Bangalore, protested yesterday demanding a minimum monthly wage of INR 15,000 (USD 246) in order to keep pace with the rising cost of living, reports The Hindu.

The contract workers, who gathered outside the Mangalore Electricity Supply Company (Mescom), also demanded that contract workers be given 50% of any job vacancies at the electricity company. 

Vasant Achari, General Secretary of the Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU), commented: “These are all old demands that are not being addressed despite change in governance.”

Mr Achari alleged that, while the Congress-led State government was following a policy of privatising electricity supply companies, the government was tilting labour laws against contract workers: “The Acts governing labour, factories, [and] pensions are all being diluted… Now, contract workers can be removed from their jobs any time without the employer having to give one month notice or notice pay.”

The demands presented to the Managing Director of Mescom included: provision of provident fund (pension); a minimum of 20 days paid leave annually; stoppage of employment of additional workers through contract scheme or outsourcing (as specified by the Contract Labour Regulation and Abolition Act, 1970); and equal remuneration for equal work.