Yogesh K Porwar
High drama unfolded outside Signature Apartment in Varthur after more than 90 workers and their families were allegedly left without salaries for the past two to three months,following a dispute between the apartment management and a housekeeping and security service contractor.
The workers,who were employed as housekeeping staff and security personnel at Signature Apartment,alleged that the contracting agency,UNIX Conglomerate,has failed to pay their wages despite repeated assurances.
Many of them had migrated to Bengaluru from different districts and other states in search of livelihood.
According to the workers,they are now unable to pay house rent,afford daily meals,or even buy essential medicines.
Several families said they are struggling to manage health conditions such as blood pressure and diabetes due to lack of money to purchase tablets.As a result, around 90 families have been forced to come out onto the streets in protest.
Sources said UNIX Conglomerate had taken the contract from Signature Apartment and was responsible for disbursing salaries.
However,due to an ongoing dispute between the apartment association and the contractor,workers claim they have become collateral damage,with their wages withheld.
The aggrieved workers have already lodged a complaint with the Labour Department against the contracting company,accusing it of non-payment of wages.
However, they allege that no concrete action has been taken so far,leaving them in a helpless situation.
“For people who survive month to month on their salary, non-payment for two to three months has pushed us to starvation,”one of the workers said.
The incident has raised serious questions about accountability in contract-based employment and the failure of authorities to protect daily wage workers caught in disputes between private agencies.
