Regularise Contract Workers or Ensure Equal Pay – R. Manasayya

Date: 24-04-2026
Place: Raichur

Comrade R. Manasayya, National General Secretary of the Trade Union Centre of India (TUCI), demanded that contract workers be regularised or paid wages equal to permanent employees.

He was speaking after inaugurating the Raichur District Contract Workers’ Convention organized by the TUCI Raichur District Committee at Pandit Siddarama Jambaladinni Auditorium in Raichur on April 24, 2026.

He stated that due to prevailing economic policies followed by governments, labour power has been reduced to a cheap commodity. While the prices of essential commodities are rising sharply, wages of workers have declined significantly.

He highlighted that even in government departments, a low-wage system is widely prevalent. Workers demanding minimum wages in various regions have faced police action and arrests. He expressed concern that paying low wages while extracting more labour has become a widespread practice.

In Karnataka, for the past two to three decades, lakhs of workers have been employed under contract systems across various departments. While permanent employees receive salaries ranging from ₹40,000 to ₹70,000 for the same work, contract workers are paid only ₹10,000 to ₹15,000 per month. He termed this as serious exploitation of labour.

He demanded immediate abolition of the contract labour system and regularisation of all long-serving contract workers. Until then, he insisted that contract workers must be paid equal wages as per the principle of “Equal Pay for Equal Work,” in line with constitutional provisions and relevant labour laws.

TUCI State Secretary Comrade M. Gangadhara, in his introductory address, stressed that unity among C and D group employees and workers across all departments is essential to abolish the contract system.

Journalist Suresh Bhadravati pointed out that exploitation of workers has crossed all limits and emphasized the need for awareness campaigns among contract workers. He stated that workers should not be misled by false assurances and that collective struggle is necessary.

TUCI State President Comrade M.D. Amir Ali spoke about labour practices and emphasized the need for a strong and progressive outlook among the working class.

Leaders from various workers’ unions shared their views during the convention. A cultural program was also held as part of the event.

The convention was presided over by TUCI Raichur District President Comrade G. Adivirav. District Secretary Comrade D.K. Lingsugur conducted the proceedings. The event began with a welcome address by youth labour leader M. Niranjan Kumar.

The convention concluded with a resolution to organize a Kalyana Karnataka-level Contract Workers’ Convention in Kalaburagi in December 2026.