KOCHI: The rift between Kochi Metro Rail and Kudumbashree Mission, the agency which is managing the public interactive services of Kochi Metro, over wages of workers hired by the Mission is widening with both agencies raising allegations against the other. Meanwhile, the workers have been complaining that while the two agencies are at loggerheads they are not getting salary and other benefits. A total of 705 workers have been appointed through Kudumbashree at Kochi Metro. According to the workers, they are not getting paid for weekly off days and getting a salary for 26 days only.
“As per the agreement with KMRL, workers were recruited with one weekly off. A worker is entitled to get a paid off after every six working days. However, KMRL is not paying wages for the off day. So, the Mission will have to give them four or five day’s paid off depending upon the number of days in a month. From September we have been giving the money from the Mission’s own fund,” said K.R. Dilraj, project manager, Kudumbashree Facility Management centre. He added that KMRL was yet to pay the arrears of Rs 1.35 crore which it owed to Kudumbashree.
Meanwhile, KMRL managing director Muhammad Hanish told DC that the issue had been taken up with the executive director of Kudumbashree Mission and would be resolved soon. “A meeting of top officials of the Mission and KMRL will be held in Kochi on February 20 to sort out the issue,” he said.
“Kudumbashree Mission has engaged more employees than KMRL’s actual requirement. In the cleaning section, KMRL had asked for 194 shifts whereas it engaged 194 persons and calculated the salary accordingly. Similarly, it engaged more persons in other categories requiring higher payment than what was specified in the agreement. With more workers, the Mission is now unable to give salaries to all workers and is demanding more money. There has been an unnecessary controversy over the payment of salary for the last few months and the situation can’t be continuing like this for long,” he added.
