Mid-day meal workers protest, seek regularisation, minimum wage of Rs 26K in Karnal

Hundreds of mid-day meal workers from nine districts of the state protested in the city on Sunday. They staged a dharna outside the office of Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s representative Kavinder Rana’s office in Sector 12 to press their demands, including status of permanent employees and a minimum monthly wages of Rs 26,000. This protest is a part of a three-day long demonstration by the employees of various departments in Karnal. On Saturday, Aangwari workers staged a dharna at the same place, while on Monday, Asha workers will protest.

Mid-day Meal Workers Union state secretary Sharbati Devi highlighted the demands and said 25 lakh midday meal workers across the country, including around 30,000 in Haryana, were cooking mid-day meal in schools for 25 years, yet continued to work on extremely low honorariums.

The protesting employees criticised the BJP-led Central Government for “speaking of women empowerment but failing to increase the workers’ wages.”

The CITU leaders, including state general secretary Jai Bhagwan, Sunita, Lal Devi, Om Prakash Matta, and treasurer Satyawan reminded the government that during the 45th Labour Conference, the government had agreed to recognise mid-day meal workers and other scheme workers as employees and provide them minimum wages and social security including pension. “But the BJP government has not implemented these promises,” said Jaibhagwan.

The employees’ leaders accused the BJP governments at the Centre and in Haryana for not protecting their rights, pointing out that nearly one crore scheme workers in the country were still denied the status of workers or employees. They also criticised the state government for not raising minimum wages. They further condemned the Centre for implementing the four labour codes, alleging that they “pave the way to enslave workers.”

The protesting employees handed over a memorandum to Kavinder Rana for the Prime Minister.