Women farm workers seek gender parity

 

Of the 108 farm workers, 68 are women. However, all women are contract employees, while all men are permanent employees.

 

None of the women was made permanent when farm workers were regularised in 2010 and 2015.

 

P. V. Latha, convener of the Vanitha Koottayma which is organising the strike, told Deccan Chronicle that the workers are on strike from September 28 in front of the farm demanding that the staff should be regularised.

 

Though the farm had issued an order regularising 20 of the women staff, it could not be implemented because there were several anomalies in the order. 

 

"Women workers are on a day-and-night satyagraha in front of the farm to press their demands from that date," Ms Latha said.

 

"Apart from that, we are also demanding the state government to provide pension benefits to employees. This is because around 10 of the women workers are past pension age. They would not be able to be regularised and may end up without any benefits even if the regularisation order is issued," she said.

 

The management had, in fact, convened a meeting with the striking female workers but it did not yield any positive results, Ms Latha said.

 

Though the farm has facilities to maintain 50 cows, there is not even a single cow. There is a feeling that cows are not maintained as part of the agenda to close down the farm, she added.