Fri Jun 27 18:36:46 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary and a news article based on the provided text:

**Summary:**

A consultative meeting in Bengaluru brought together 44 women choultry (marriage hall/community hall) workers from five Karnataka districts to discuss issues of safety, dignity, and respect in their workplaces. These workers, often facing low wages (₹300-₹500 per day, significantly below the mandated ₹710), long hours (up to 17 hours), abuse, and lack of basic facilities like toilet breaks, highlighted their struggles. Advocacy groups like ActionAid are calling for improved labor protections, minimum wage enforcement, and welfare measures funded by taxes on marriage hall owners. The government acknowledged the challenges and pointed to existing initiatives like the Ambedkar Karmika Sahaya Hasta Yojana, urging workers to register for the program, and the revised minimum wages, yet implementation and awareness remain key.

**News Article:**

**Karnataka Choultry Workers Demand Dignity, Fair Wages at Consultative Meeting**

**Bengaluru, June 28, 2025** – Forty-four women working in choultries and marriage halls across Karnataka convened in Bengaluru on Friday to voice concerns over unsafe working conditions, exploitative wages, and lack of respect in their workplaces. The women, hailing from Ramanagara, Chamarajanagar, Bagalkote, Belagavi, and Bengaluru districts, participated in a consultative meeting focused on “Safety, Dignity, and Respect of Choultry Women Workers.”

Workers shared harrowing accounts of 12- to 17-hour workdays, wages far below the legally mandated minimum, and instances of abuse by employers, cooks, and contractors. “We are paid ₹400 a day. I am worried about my children’s future,” said Hanunavva, a participant, highlighting the financial insecurity faced by many. Nagavva expressed concerns about unsafe commutes home late at night.

Advocacy groups, including ActionAid Association, emphasized the urgent need for government intervention. Nandini, State lead for ActionAid, pointed out the significant wage disparities, with workers in cities like Bengaluru earning ₹500 per day while their rural counterparts receive only ₹300, both figures falling short of the Labour Department’s stipulated minimum wage of ₹710 for nine hours of work. She proposed a tax on marriage hall owners to fund welfare schemes for choultry workers, similar to the system in place for construction workers.

Lawyer Vinaya Sreenivasa stressed the need for a sustained movement to protect the rights of these vulnerable workers. Studies have revealed that workers are often denied basic necessities like toilet breaks and lack access to medical assistance for injuries sustained at work.

Meena Patil, Assistant Commissioner of Labour, acknowledged the challenges faced by these unorganized sector workers and highlighted the Karnataka government’s Ambedkar Karmika Sahaya Hasta Yojana, which offers insurance coverage and hospitalisation expenses for work-related accidents. She urged workers to register for the scheme and reminded attendees of the revised minimum wages for unskilled workers in community halls and marriage halls.

While government initiatives offer a glimmer of hope, participants emphasized the importance of effective implementation and consistent enforcement of labor laws to ensure the safety, dignity, and fair treatment of choultry workers across Karnataka.

Read More