Bengaluru: Unpaid for year, crematoria staff threaten to stop operations

BENGALURU: While bodies are piling up at crematoria and cemeteries following a spike in Covid-19 fatalities, workers at these facilities who haven’t been paid for more than a year have warned the administration of shutting them down in the coming days.
Crematoria workers say this is their last resort as they haven’t got salaries despite being assured time and again.
A Suresh, state general secretary of Dr BR Ambedkar Dalita Samithi, said about 280 workers have not been paid for more than a year.“Despite many protests and requests, all that we have got are assurances,” he said.
There are about 50 graveyards and 12 electric crematoria in the city. Two of the crematoria are not in a working condition. Workers say they are getting 7-10 bodies every day at each crematorium after the rise in Covid deaths. Waiting time to cremate a body has gone up to 3-4 hours. Summanahalli, Panathur, Bommanahalli, Medi Agrahara and Kengeri crematoria have been reserved for Covid-19 victims, but the Kengeri facility is now defunct.
Raju, an employee of Hebbal electric crematorium, said they need at least 45 minutes to 1 hour to cremate a body and people have no other option but to wait as not all crematoria are functional. Raju says he has not been paid for 14 months.
According to Ravi, a worker at the Summanahalli facility, the salary of a crematorium worker is about Rs 14,500 and after deductions, they get Rs 10,500 in hand. “Many people ask why crematoria workers seek money from those who visit the facilities. The reason is that we’ve been working without salary for a year now,” he says. Ravi said when BBMP can reserve funds for yet-to-be-elected representatives (corporators) in its budget, what stops the agency from paying workers who toil day and night?
Crematoria workers had staged a protest on March 23 demanding their salaries, and BBMP officials had held a meeting on March 29, saying they would be released.
Workers yet to be jabbed
While BBMP held a vaccination drive for healthcare workers and frontline staff, crematorium workers were not considered for it. Raju says they are exposed to the virus while handling bodies, but are not considered frontline workers. “We will have no other option but to stop operations,” he added.
Will order release of salary, says Palike chief
BBMP commissioner Gaurav Gupta said he was not aware that crematoria workers hadn’t been paid. “I will order immediate release of their salaries,” he added. Asked about vaccination for crematoria employees, he said he will take it up with higher-ups and see if a drive can be conducted.