Mid-day meal staffs calls off the protest after government assures of pay hike

Bengaluru: The Mid-day meal staffs across the state had staged a protest in front of the Vidhana Soudha demanding for a pay hike. The staffs called off the protest after four days on Friday night after the government assured increase in their wages.

Speaking to the media, Centre for Trade Unions (CITU) state President S.Varalakshmi said that the Minister for Primary and Secondary Education Tanveer Sait and other department officials met the staffs and assured of a hike in their wages after which they decided to call of the protest.

At least 10000 women cooks from across Karnataka participated in the strike at Freedom park grounds in the city centre demanding for a hike in their wages. These cooks get Rs 2,200 per month and their helpers Rs 2,100 for cooking meals to students in government schools and have been demanding to get at least Rs 5,000 per month along with pension enrolment.

Varalakshmi said that the during the announcement of the state budget the Mid-day meal staffs were told to wait for the wage hike announcement but no hike in the pay was mentioned throughout.

Tanvir sait told the reporters that after meeting the women cooks’ association representatives; he notified that the government has assured them a wage hike. He also added that the government will hike their wages and the same will be presented in the budget.