ActionAid Association, an NGO that has been working with historically exploited communities for over 50 years, will organise a public convention on “The Status of Choultry Workers’‘ on October 11, 2022, at SCM House in Sampangiramanagar, Bengaluru.
Lalitha Srinivasan, Programme Officer, ActionAid Association (India), Bengaluru said, “We are working with more than 80,000 unorganised sector workers across the country to protect their social security, minimum wage related issues. We are also working on the issues of constitutional rights of urban deprived slum community, right to land and housing, women’s rights and children’s rights.”
ActionAid Association focused its intervention on the social security and working conditions of unorganised labourers in seven wards of Bengaluru, she said. The NGO said it has access to exploited communities in 22 states across the country and 15 districts in Karnataka.
“We are trying to understand what rights are they denied. Many Scheduled Caste and economically challenged communities are engaged in cleaning works, particularly in choultries. They are paid a low wage of ₹400 for working 12 to 18 hours a day,’‘ Ms. Lalitha said.
ActionAid Association has also conducted a study titled, “Ensuring Dignity and Security in the Lives of Choultry Workers” to examine issues like wage disparity, gender discrimination and caste exploitation.
“The report of the study that will be released at the convention will feature recommendations to restore labour dignity and ensure basic rights of choultry workers,’‘ Ms. Srinivasan added.
