Working vigorously 9 to 4, get paid only Rs. 3,600: Mid-day meal workers

Bengaluru 

As many as 500 women workers of the midday meal scheme continued their protest at the City's Freedom Park demanding basic health facilities with a hike in monthly wages.

Members of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) representing Midday Meal Women Union, continued their protest in Freedom Park, Bengaluru on Wednesday.

The workers insisted that the state and central government should announce an increase in the monthly wage from Rs 3600 to Rs 6000 along with Retirement pension, Employee State Insurance (ESI), Employee Provident Fund (PF) benefits and provide proper work equipment kits.

"Regardless of working vigorously from 9 am to 4 pm we get paid Rs 3600 per month, how can we manage our kid's education and cover all our monthly health and food requisites... moreover, we come across a lot of health accidents while cooking meals, but there are no proper health benefits for us cooks," said the protesters.

The workers also alleged that the previous Bommai government had announced a Rs 1000 increment but it wasn't implemented.

During the assembly election campaign, Priyanka Gandhi guaranteed workers that mid-day meal cooks would be provided Rs 6,000 as salary but no action was taken despite the Congress coming to power, they said.