MANGALORE: The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh has urged Mangalore City Corporation to implement directions given by the Karnataka State Contract Labour Advisory Board and regularise services of 45 people working in the electricity department of the corporation.

The sangh has opposed a move by the corporation to outsource streetlight maintenance.

District president of the sangh K. Vishwanath Shetty told presspersons here that 45 people had been working as daily wage labourers in the department since 1987-88.

The corporation handed over maintenance and repair work of streetlights to public contractor in 1995-96 without giving notice to these people. Mr. Shetty said these workers approached the High Court seeking regularisation of their services.

The High Court disposing a writ petition filed by the workers in this regard directed them to approach the board explaining the factual position pertaining to their appointment. The workers filed a reply to the board through the sangh, he said.

The board after perusing through facts of the case observed that these workers were discharging their duties on a par with permanent employees of the corporation. The board also observed that nature of duties performed by the workers was not temporary but permanent and that they were eligible to receive salary and other benefits due to permanent employees, he said.

Objection

The board also objected to the denial of facilities such as uniforms and holiday wages for working on national and State holidays .

The board also observed that maintenance and repair of streetlights was a duty that the corporation had to discharge and it was advisable that the corporation did away with the contract labour system. However, the corporation had decided to outsource the maintenance work for an annual fee of Rs. 1 crore, he said and termed it a waste of taxpayers' money.

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