OVER 30,000 workers from Karnataka's diverse working class, including domestic helpers, street vendors, and skilled professionals from industries like aerospace and IT, mobilised in Bangalore from March 3 to 7. Organised by the Karnataka state committee of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), the five-day demonstration at Freedom Park saw participants raise 37 demands, such as a living minimum wage of Rs 31,566 for unskilled workers, with a 15 per cent premium for higher skill levels, adjusted to the price index. They also demanded a wealth tax on the richest 1 per cent and permanent employee status for contract workers in perennial jobs.

The protest, described by CITU President Varalakshmi as "a unique effort," featured a relay system where workers stayed overnight before making way for new participants each morning. On March 6, workers from 115 private factories, including JK Tyres and LM Wind Power, joined the agitation, with 35 factories witnessing complete work stoppages after strike notices were served. Karnataka CITU General Secretary Meenakshi Sundaram highlighted the widespread participation, emphasizing the unity of organised and unorganised sector workers in the struggle for labour rights.

REPEAL THE BJP’s ANTI-LABOUR LAWS

The Congress-led Karnataka government must resist and repeal the BJP’s anti-labour laws, demanded protesting workers, as they face the impending nationwide enforcement of the BJP-led central government’s consolidation of 29 labour laws into four labour codes that came in 2020. Workers are already suffering from amendments to Karnataka’s Factory Act, Industrial Disputes Act, and Commercial Establishments Act, introduced by the previous BJP-led state government, which increased work hours and simplified the process of firing employees. Despite opposing these changes while in opposition, the Congress government, which came to power in 2023, has not repealed these amendments and has further eroded workers’ access to already weakened labour protections.

Under the guise of providing "justice at the doorsteps of the people," the government is diverting labour disputes to civil courts, where cases can be prolonged indefinitely. "Industrial jurisprudence is distinct from civil jurisprudence," said Sundaram, highlighting that while the Industrial Disputes Act mandates resolving disputes within six months, civil courts allow employers to drag out cases. To ensure timely justice, workers are demanding exclusive labour courts in every district.

Current labour protections, even in their diluted form, primarily benefit the organized sector, which constitutes less than 20 per cent of Karnataka’s workforce. However, the protests also saw thousands from the unorganized sector voicing their grievances. Sanitation workers, often outsourced or on temporary contracts despite 15-20 years of service, demanded job regularisation and permanent employment benefits. Beedi workers, impacted by government efforts to reduce tobacco consumption, sought monthly compensation of Rs. 6,000. Auto-rickshaw drivers called for the repeal of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act 2019, introduced by the previous BJP government, which has led to increased police harassment and hefty fines that strain their already meager incomes. Workers across sectors are united in their call for fair wages, job security, and accessible justice.

Hundreds of plantation workers from Chikmagalur, Hassan, and Kodagu joined the protests, demanding a daily minimum wage of Rs 1,000. Despite rising coffee prices, these workers, who toil in snake-infested plantations in the Western Ghats and face dangers from elephants and other wildlife, earn less than Rs 400 a day. Their union leader, Dharmesh, highlighted the urgent need for a Welfare Board, noting that an estimated three lakh workers labour in coffee plantations without protective gear or access to healthcare.

Occupational safety was also a major concern for headload workers. Their leader, Mahesh, explained that many start carrying heavy loads in their late teens, leading to severe knee damage by the age of 50, often leaving them unable to perform basic tasks like squatting. While the union’s prolonged struggle has led to the initial implementation of the ILO’s Maximum Weight Convention, safety remains a critical issue, compounded by the lack of affordable housing, which forces many to live in overcrowded slums.

Construction workers, who demonstrated on March 5, echoed these concerns. Mahantesh, leader of the Construction Workers Federation of India (CWFI), lamented that despite building roads, malls, offices, and homes through extreme weather conditions, workers are forced to live in makeshift shacks with leaky roofs. Sundaram added that many sleep on streets, bus stands, or railway platforms at night before returning to work in the morning. These workers highlighted the stark contrast between their contributions to urban development and their own living conditions, demanding better wages, safety, and housing.

The workers enduring harsh urban conditions are largely migrants, compelled to leave their families in villages due to the deepening agrarian crisis, which has made rural livelihoods increasingly unsustainable. They seek precarious work in cities, often facing exploitation and poor living conditions.

Sundaram noted, “The Conference of Indian Industries estimates that 45 lakh people, primarily agricultural labourers, have migrated from rural to urban areas in Karnataka over the last three years.” This distress migration, which began with neoliberal reforms in the 1990s, has intensified in recent years due to the widespread acquisition of fertile lands for non-agricultural purposes, further eroding agricultural livelihoods.

The government is actively acquiring farmland and transferring it to private entities through the Industrial Development Board, while private industrialists are also directly purchasing land from farmers. The longstanding prohibition against non-agriculturists acquiring agricultural land was removed in 2020 by the previous BJP-led state government through an amendment to the Karnataka Land Reforms Act.

At the time, Siddaramaiah, now Karnataka’s chief minister but then the opposition leader, condemned the amendment as "anti-farmer," tearing up a copy of the bill and staging a walkout in protest. However, nearly two years into his tenure, Siddaramaiah has yet to fulfill his promise to repeal the amendment. Instead, the Congress government continues to exploit it, facilitating the transfer of farmland to private industries and exacerbating the displacement and impoverishment of farmers.

UNPAID WAGES

The neglect of rural areas by successive governments is evident in the unpaid wages of gram panchayat employees, including sweepers, water supply workers, accountants, and data entry operators. Thousands of these workers from across rural Karnataka joined the first day of the five-day protest on March 3, highlighting their struggles after going without pay for over a year in many cases. Despite their financial hardships, they continue to work, driven by a commitment to their villages and the fear of losing their jobs amid a severe unemployment crisis, hoping to eventually receive at least part of their pending wages.

Sundaram explained that for years, the state government expected gram panchayats to generate their own revenue through local taxes, an approach that proved unfeasible. After prolonged struggles, the government agreed to partially fund their salaries, but this arrangement remains irregular. CITU has demanded that the government allocate Rs 380 crore to clear the backlog of unpaid wages and ensure timely salary payments in the future, emphasizing the need for a sustainable solution to support these essential rural workers.

Unlike gram panchayat employees, the mid-day meal workers who gathered at Freedom Park on March 4 are not even entitled to minimum wages on paper. Launched in 2001, the mid-day meal scheme, which provides hot meals in government and government-aided schools, has been a crucial intervention, increasing school enrollment, attendance, and combating child malnutrition. However, the predominantly women workers who sustain this scheme are not recognized as employees. Instead of wages, they receive a nominal honorarium.

Malini, leader of the mid-day meal workers union, addressed the protest, stating, “We are among the lowest-paid workers by the government.” She highlighted their honorarium, which started at Rs 300 per month nearly 25 years ago, has only now reached Rs 3,700, increasing marginally after each major protest. “Is it possible to survive on such a meager income?” she asked. The government claims their work hours are limited to four hours a day, but Malini countered that their duties –unloading food grains, cooking, cleaning, and delivering meals – often extend to six or even eight hours daily.

Their demand for recognition as employees entitled to minimum wages was echoed on March 7 by nearly 10,000 Anganwadi workers, who joined the final day of the protest. These community-based workers play a vital role in maternal and child health in villages, slums, and low-income urban areas. They track pregnancies, educate expecting mothers, distribute food grains and medicines, monitor infant health, promote breastfeeding and immunisation, and provide preschool education.

Vijaya, a 56-year-old Anganwadi worker with over 30 years of service in north Karnataka, emphasized their critical role: “From pregnancy until a child turns six, we are involved at every stage.” Studies show that areas with active Anganwadi workers have significantly lower rates of maternal and child mortality, malnutrition, and stunting. Yet, by labeling them as ‘volunteers’ and paying a small honorarium instead of wages, the government undermines their contributions. “We demand to be recognised as government employees with all the entitlements that come with it,” she asserted.

TAX WEALTHY, SECURE LIVELIHOODS FOR POOR

In the lead-up to the mass demonstration, which brought together a cross-section of Karnataka’s working class, campaigns began in late January with regional workshops in Bangalore, Belgaum, Gulbarga, and Mangalore. These workshops targeted union cadres and office bearers from all 31 districts. Throughout February, vehicle rallies, industry-specific and cluster-based meetings, and other campaigns were organized across several districts to mobilise support.

However, the police issued a notice to CITU, revoking permission to campaign in Bangalore and threatening to seize microphones and rickshaws used by activists to raise awareness about the protest, as recalled by Sundaram in his opening address. He criticized the government’s double standards, noting that while loud religious processions are readily permitted on main roads, workers marching to demand their wages are suddenly seen as causing traffic disruptions.

Despite these obstacles, tens of thousands of workers participated in the five-day relay protest, compelling the state government to send officials daily to offer reassurances and receive a memorandum outlining 37 demands. These demands included extending MGNREGA work guarantees from 100 to 200 days at a minimum wage of Rs 700, introducing an urban employment guarantee act, and providing 12 days of paid menstrual leave annually for all women workers.

CITU refuted claims that the government lacks funds to meet these demands, calling for an end to tax concessions and subsidies for large domestic and foreign corporations. Sundaram emphasized that taxing the richest 1per cent just 2per cent on their assets could fund reductions in GST, lower petrol prices, and provide free education for all. He reiterated the memorandum’s core message: “Increase taxes on the wealthy and ensure livelihood for the poor.”

CITU state president Varalakshmi added that Karnataka’s workers are not merely advocating for sector-specific economic demands but are challenging the state’s pro-corporate policies. Instead, they are pushing for “alternative pro-people policies” as outlined in the 37-point charter.