Puri: The agitation of Srimandir contractual sanitation workers in support of their 10-point charter of demands entered the seventh day Friday.
The workers burnt the effigies of some officials of the private firm, engaged in sanitation
work at the 12th century shrine Friday.
The agitators threatened to launch a civil disobedience movement if the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration and the private entity do not fulfill their demands within two days.
Contractual sanitation workers’ association president Sarat Kumar Raiguru alleged that the private entity has flouted provisions of the labour act. According to Raiguru, the private firm used to get huge sums from the SJTA for sanitation works, but it pay truncated salaries to the contractual staff.
Besides, the firm does not deposit its share to the EPF and ESI accounts of the contractual employees. “We had raised the issue with the SJTA and the district labour officer. Taking the issue seriously, the labour officer had asked the private firm’s chief to depose before him. However, the firm’s chief is yet to comply with the order,” Raiguru said.
According to the agitators, the private entity had fired 24 contractual employees a few days ago on flimsy grounds.
Demanding basic minimum salary, reinstatement of sacked employees, timely deposit of EPF dues and introduction of weekly offs, the contractual sanitation workers had launched an agitation January 27.
PNN
