Bengaluru: A massive strike led by the Karnataka State City Corporation Employees Federation and the BBMP Officers and Employees Welfare Association brought civic operations across 10 municipal corporations in the state to a halt today, as thousands of employees staged a protest at Freedom Park, Bengaluru.
The agitation is in response to the government’s continued delay in addressing long-standing demands. “Despite years of submitting petitions, we have received no concrete response or intervention. Today, we are forced to take to the streets, and we hold the state government directly accountable,” said Amrut Raj, President of the BBMP Officers and Employees Welfare Association and State President of the City Corporation Employees’ Federation.
Over 5,000 employees from 10 major city corporations have joined the protest, with around 4,000 BBMP staffers participating from Bengaluru alone. Protesters arrived in groups, with several city corporations arranging five to ten buses each to transport their workers.
The indefinite protest will continue until the government assures justice and fulfills the pending demands, Amrut Raj said. “Until our voices are heard and action is taken, all operations in BBMP and other corporations will remain suspended,” he added.
Key civic services such as sanitation, revenue operations, and school administration have been suspended. However, hospitals and crematoriums will continue functioning.
The protest will last until evening today, with plans to continue tomorrow if the government fails to respond. The leaders have made it clear that this is not just a symbolic protest, but a full-fledged movement to secure the rights and dues of municipal workers.
