Mangaluru, October 9: Led by Jaya Karnataka, hundreds participated in a massive vehicle rally held from Udupi to Mangaluru in protest against Mescom on Thursday October 8th. After they reached Mangaluru, they submitted a memorandum enlisting their demands at the office of Mescom managing director near AB Shetty circle in Mangaluru.
Divakar Shetty, district president of Jaya Karnataka addressing the gathering said, today we have arrived here with this vehicle rally all the way from Udupi urging justice for gangmen who have been working on contract basis from past 6 years and more. They now feel cheated. They have been working since long with the expectation that their employment would be made permanent.
He said, Mescom has come up with a new rule that gangmen should have completed at least SSLC. On this basis, they have appointed new gangmen from other districts in North Karnataka. What about these employees who have worked for such a long duration? What will they do if they are removed from their jobs? Jaya Karnataka condemns this act of Mescom and urges justice to these gangmen. We request the Mescom officials to consider the experience of these gangmen and make them permanent in available posts said Divakar Shetty.
District honorary president of Jaya Karnataka Nanda Kumar said, when these gangmen were recruited on contract basis they were told that they would have to carry on works such as erection of poles, wiring and maintenance. From the past 6 years, they have been discharging their duty sincerely. As they worked for so long, there are enough provisions in the Companies Act to make these employees permanent. Their experience should be considered and locals should be given priority and made permanent. If this is not done, protest will be held in front of the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru, he said.
The protestors said that since many years, 209 people had been working as gangmen for Mescom, but now Mescom has recruited new gangmen among whom 95 percent are from North Karnataka. The gangmen who have been working on contract basis along with Jaya Karnataka submitted their memorandum to the managing director of Mescom demanding selection of gangmen to probationary posts or to hire them as permanent workers.
Managing director of Mescom accepted the memorandum and assured that he would look into the matter.
Nithyananda Amin, B Sudhakar Rao, Annappa Kulal and other leaders of Jaya Karnataka were also present.
The vehicle rally was flagged off in Udupi by Vidyavallabhateerta Swamiji of Paryaya Kaniyoor Math, Udupi.
The members of Jaya Karnataka urged that the jobs of present gangmen be made permanent in Udupi Mescom by either recruiting them as junior trainers or by employing them under probationary posts.
