Solid waste collection, citizen services hit in Mangaluru as MCC staff on strike

Collection and transportation of solid waste from doorsteps in the city and all citizen centric services in Mangaluru came to a standstill after employees of Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) resorted to an indefinite strike from July 10.

Holding placards, the staff, led by South Kanara Municipal Employees’ Union, Karnataka State City Corporations’ Employees’ Association, and Karnataka State City Corporations’ Employees’ Parishat, sat at the entrance of the MCC head office at Lalbagh urging the State Government to fulfil various demands.

None of them, including pourakarmikas, attended to their duties.

Balu, president, South Kanara Municipal Employees’ Union, wants the government to extend the Seventh Pay Commission benefits to the staff and officers of the corporation on par with other State Government employees.

“The government has asked city corporations across Karnataka to contribute their share, for example like 15%, to extend the Seventh Pay Commission benefits. This is not fair,” he said urging the State Government to bear the financial burden fully through the Finance Department.

He wants the Karnataka Government Insurance Department’s Group Insurance Scheme to be extended to the corporation’s employees. The scheme provides both insurance coverage and a lump sum payment on retirement. With this, the MCC employees and their families will have financial security, he said.

Mr. Balu said that the corporation staff should be covered under General Provident Fund (GPF) and Jyothi Sanjeevani health scheme, as provided to State Government employees, without any modification.

Seeking an amendment to cadre and recruitment rules pertaining to city corporations, he said that the officers and employees of city corporations are deprived of promotions for many years. Hence, the government should consider promotions in various posts.

Pourakarmikas demand houses

Leading the pourakarmikas in the strike was S. P. Anand who said that, since a majority of pourakarmikas are from outside Dakshina Kannada district, they should be given houses each measuring at least 600 sq. ft. Some pourakarmikas have been given houses measuring 245 sq ft, he said.

Mr. Anand said that the corporation had 312 permanent pourakarmikas, 135 loaders, and 465 pourakarmikas who are under direct payment.

He said pourakarmikas should not be made to contribute their share while paying medical bills by producing health card. Instead, the government should fully bear the cost of medical treatment.

As the five-year term of the elected council of the corporation has expired, the corporation is now under an administrator who is the Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada.