Members of the Karnataka State Building and Other Construction Workers Federation, Dakshina Kannada district committee, staged a protest outside the Mini Vidhana Soudha in Mangaluru on Wednesday, urging both the central and state governments to meet their demands.

The committee's district general secretary, Yogesh Jappinamogaru, demanded the immediate release of overdue monthly pensions, which have been withheld for the last two months. He also pressed for the disbursement of pending educational financial assistance from 2022, as mandated by the high court, and called for urgent action by the welfare board and the state government to address delays in renewing construction workers' registrations.

Jappinamogaru highlighted the difficult conditions faced by workers, pointing out that despite the boom in construction projects, millions still live in unsafe environments. Migrant workers suffer the most, and women in the sector continue to face wage discrimination and sexual harassment, he added.

Sunil Kumar Bajal, district general secretary of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), criticised the former BJP-led state government and the NDA government for consolidating 29 labour laws into four codes, including the Building and Other Construction Workers Act of 1996. He argued that these changes have stripped workers of crucial protections, sparking nationwide protests to safeguard their livelihoods.

Bajal warned that protests would escalate across Karnataka if the government does not respond to their demands. The demonstration in Mangaluru followed a campaign held from October 1 to 15 in construction workers’ neighborhoods, emphasizing their ongoing struggle for fair treatment and rights.

(ET)