2020-10-04 : Second appeal by the collective of mess-canteen workers

Friends,

A second appeal to the community by the collective of mess and canteen workers, that they have released on 2nd Oct. (in Hindi), is attached. In brief, it makes the following points:

1.     This week Rs. 6000/ have been credited in every mess workers’ a/c and they thank the community for their support which has played an important role in this money reaching them. They point out that they have to date received Rs 12,400 (Rs. 6400/ were credited in their a/cs in July) from the Institute since May 2020, which works out to roughly one month’s normal salary for them.

2.     They are thankful that workers from among the existing mess workers have been employed in the messing facility put in place for students who are returning to the campus.

3.     Yet they are concerned that the few workers who have been employed at present are being asked to work for 13-14 hours everyday while so many of them are without work and waiting to get employed

4.     As messing facilities change and expand further, they seek community support on the following issues:

a.     The involvement of workers  in making plans regarding the adequate number of workers required for  mess work and also a just criteria in deciding the order in which they are reemployed. They have already identified the most needy amongst them (including women workers whose families have no other source of support) and they believe that these workers should be the first ones to be re-employed.

b.     The available work should be done on a rotation basis so that it can be shared among as many workers as possible.

5.     They have decided to create a solidarity fund in which those who are employed will contribute a part of their wages for those who have not found employment, including for the canteen workers, who are unlikely to be immediately re-employed in the Institute.

Hamara Manch

Oct. 04, 2020

Attachment: Appeal by mess workers (in Hindi).