Dharna for regularisation of SGB sweepers messengers

Chittoor: The casual sweepers and messengers of Saptagiri Grameena Bank (SGB) staged a dharna seeking hike in wages and regularisation of services at the Collectorate here on Saturday. Addressing the gathering, CITU district president P Chaithanya came down heavily on SGB management for its indifferent attitude towards staff.

He said that casual sweepers and messengers are leading miserable lives with meagre wages. He mentioned that several casual sweepers and messengers, who have been working for more than 20 years, are drawing lesser wages. Chaithanya demanded the SGB management to regularise services of casual sweepers and messengers, who have more service.

The CITU leader said that the SGB management had failed to enforce the recommendations of Central Labour Commissioner with regard to hike in wages, providing PF and ESI facilities. He hit out at the SGB officials for adopting vindictive attitude towards their staff for seeking justice. He asked the management to render justice to casual sweepers and messengers.

SGB Casual Sweepers and Messengers Union President Kiran Kumar alleged that the bank managers are not maintaining attendance registers for casual sweepers and messengers despite making appeal on several occasions.

He stated that casual sweepers and messengers were not issued identity cards and denied weekly offs. “We do all sorts of work just like regular bank staff,” he added. Kiran Kumar said that they will be forced to go on an indefinite strike if their demands were not met. Union general secretary Rajesh and others also spoke. Later, the CITU and SGB Casual Sweepers and Messengers Union leaders have submitted a memorandum to Joint Collector 2 Venkata Subba Reddy.