Hamalis seek scientific, uniform piece-rate wage across Hubballi region
Hundreds of hamalis (headload workers) in Hubballi on Wednesday staged a protest demanding an immediate revision and implementation of minimum wages for loading and unloading work on a piece-rate basis. The demonstration, led by trade union leaders, highlighted demands for a scientifically fixed, uniform wage structure to protect daily-wage workers from rising prices and irregular earnings.
The protest began with a march from Basaveshwar Circle to the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) office at Amargol, where demonstrators submitted a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister through APMC authorities. The march and subsequent demonstration were organised by the APMC Hamali (Headload) Workers Union and the Karnataka State Hamali Workers Federation, with support from the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).
- Workers demanded withdrawal of the Cabinet sub-committee set up to revisit the recently revised minimum wages notification.
- They called for a scientific, uniform piece-rate system factoring the variety of agricultural commodities handled at APMCs, mills, warehouses and transport establishments.
- Union leaders argued that the May 22, 2026 notification failed to fix clear piece-rate wages for hamalis and left many daily-wage workers economically vulnerable.
Union leaders participating in the protest included Mahesh Pattar (general secretary, Karnataka State Hamali Workers Federation), B.I. Eeliger (CITU district president), and other local leaders such as Basavanneppa Neeralagi, Gurusidappa Ambiger, Manjunath Hujarathi, Hanamanta Ambiger, Kathalsab Mulla and Hussainsab Nadaf. They handed over the memorandum requesting immediate government action to ensure minimum wages that reflect living costs and the nature of piece-rate work.
| Leader | Designation / Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Mahesh Pattar | General secretary, Karnataka State Hamali Workers Federation |
| B.I. Eeliger | CITU district president |
| Basavanneppa Neeralagi | Union leader |
| Gurusidappa Ambiger | Union leader |
| Manjunath Hujarathi | Union leader |
| Hanamanta Ambiger | Union leader |
| Kathalsab Mulla | Union leader |
| Hussainsab Nadaf | Union leader |
Leaders reiterated that minimum wages are a constitutional right and said that many hamalis, who survive on daily earnings, are experiencing severe economic hardship owing to inflation. They pointed to the State Minimum Wages Advisory Board’s multi-year review and the division of the State into three zones based on price indices, but objected to the decision to refer the revised rates to a Cabinet sub-committee for further reconsideration.
The protesters argued the sub-committee route delays implementation and creates uncertainty for thousands of headload workers engaged in APMCs, mills, warehouses and transport yards. They requested the government to adopt a uniform piece-rate schedule that accounts for:
- Type of commodity handled (bulk, packaged, fragile);
- Average load per trip and physical effort required;
- Working hours and seasonal demand fluctuations.
Union sources said the revised minimum wages notification issued on 22 May 2026 did not adequately specify piece-rate rates for loading and unloading categories, leaving many hamalis outside the protective ambit of the new order. The memorandum submitted at the APMC office called for the State government to rescind the Cabinet sub-committee’s review and to proceed with evidence-based wage fixation through the Advisory Board’s process.
Local traders and market officials at Amargol received the memorandum and acknowledged the protest. The hamali unions have warned of intensified agitational programmes if the government does not provide a clear, uniform piece-rate wage structure shortly. The outcome will be closely watched in Hubballi-Dharwad, where agricultural market activity and labour availability are tightly linked to rural livelihoods across North Karnataka.
