Ludhiana: Mid-day meal cooks demand hike in wages, job security

The march began from Chattar Singh Park and reached the office of the deputy commissioner, where they handed over a memorandum listing their demands to revenue officer Ankita Aggarwal

In a symbolic protest on Wednesday, hundreds of mid-day meal workers and Class four employees, including sanitation workers and chowkidars, took to the streets of Ludhiana to demand better wages and job security. The protesting women marched while shouting slogans, wearing black scarves and clanging steel plates.

Mid-day meal workers holding a protest against in Ludhiana on Wednesday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

The march began from Chattar Singh Park and reached the office of the deputy commissioner, where they handed over a memorandum listing their demands to revenue officer Ankita Aggarwal. The protest was led by Karam Chand Chandalia, state president of the Mid-Day Meal Cooks Union, along with prominent leaders like labour activist Vijay Dhir and former MP Keval Singh.

Chandalia said that several meetings have been held with government officials, but no action has been taken on their demands, especially regarding low wages. He accused the state government of making hollow promises.

Currently, mid-day meal cooks are paid just ₹3,000 per month, while new chowkidars and sanitation workers hired in 2023 are paid ₹3,000 and ₹5,000 respectively. The workers are demanding salaries equal to those in other states. “In Haryana, the salary is ₹7,000 per month which is double of what we get here, and we want our wages deposited directly into our bank accounts on time,” said Chandalia. They also demanded a formal government policy to regulate hiring and termination, ensuring job security for thousands of low-wage workers.

BJP’s executive member Saurav Kapoor assured the protestors that their concerns will be taken to the Union government and promised to arrange a meeting with Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu soon.

Several state-level and district leaders from across Punjab, including Kamaljit Kaur Kalyan, Mumtaz Begum, Narinder Kaur, and others also participated in large numbers, showing solidarity with the struggling workers.