Mysuru: Accusing the Karnataka  Silk Industries Corporation (KSIC) of laying off contract employees under the pretext of contract renewal, the aggrieved KSIC contract workers  submitted a memorandum to Krishnaraja MLA T.S. Srivatsa yesterday.

Alleging that the contract employees were intentionally given a break in order to cut off their service continuity, the workers were protesting in front of the KSIC premises on Manandavadi Road, when MLA Srivatsa happened to pass by. Srivatsa, who stopped at the spot, heard the grievances of workers and received a memorandum from them. The MLA later met KSIC officials and received inputs from them on the issue.

Later, addressing the protesting workers, Srivatsa said that the workers can attend work from Wednesday (Apr. 2). Assuring that he would bring to the notice of the Government the plight of contract workers, Srivatsa said that he would also discuss the matter with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and higher officers of the Sericulture Department.

Meanwhile, the laid-off contract workers said that the officials were intentionally trying to break their service continuity under the pretext of renewal of contract tender. Noting that the KSIC has to extend certain benefits to the workers if they continue without a service break of 4 years while entering 5th year of service, they said that the Labour Department was informed two months ago about this plot of service break, by laying off the workers. The Department was also appealed to protect the interests of hundreds of contract workers, they added.