BMS Protests in Bengaluru Demanding Implementation of Revised Minimum Wages

Demanding the immediate implementation of the revised minimum wage notification issued by the Karnataka government, the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh staged a protest in Bengaluru and submitted a memorandum listing 13 demands concerning workers' wages, social security, and employment conditions.

The trade union urged the State government to enforce the minimum wage notification issued in May without withdrawing it. The BMS stated that minimum wages in the state had not been adequately revised for nearly eight years, even though the latest notification was finalised after extensive consultations involving government officials, employers, and labour representatives through the State Minimum Wages Advisory Board.

Union leaders noted that the wage revision had been kept on hold by the authorities despite there being no stay order from the High Court, warning that protests would intensify across the state if their demands were ignored.

Among its key financial demands, the BMS sought a hike in the Employees' Pension Scheme minimum monthly pension from Rs 1,000 to Rs 7,500. It also demanded that the Employees' State Insurance wage ceiling be raised to Rs 42,000 and the Employees' Provident Fund contribution ceiling to Rs 30,000. Additionally, the union sought the implementation of higher EPF pensions across sectors, an increase in gratuity calculations from 15 days to one month per year of service, a rise in the gratuity ceiling from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 40 lakh, and an increase in the statutory bonus ceiling from Rs 7,000 to Rs 18,000.

The memorandum also highlighted the plight of scheme workers, calling for higher monthly honorariums and permanent employee status for staff engaged under the National Health Mission, Anganwadi and ASHA programmes, and the mid-day meal scheme, noting that many had worked for decades without job security.

Furthermore, the BMS demanded permanent appointments for in-house and outsourced staff in the State Health Department based on sanctioned posts and length of service, while calling for a complete end to contract and outsourced hiring across government departments.

Other major demands included the implementation of a five-day working week in the banking sector, an official inquiry into alleged corruption within the Karnataka Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, and the clearance of pending wage arrears, including 10 months of unpaid dues for National Textile Corporation workers and 38 months of arrears for KSRTC employees.