"E-Sevai Workers Protest in Chennai, Demand Fair Wage and Better Working Conditions" 21 November, 2018

The E-sevai workers are data entry operators who are employed by contractors but, owing to meagre salaries are forced to work multiple jobs to earn a fair living. The E-sevai workers of Tamil Nadu conducted a demonstration demanding fair wage and better working conditions...in Chennai. Over 200 data entry operators of E-sevai centres across the state participated in the demonstration...The centres are outsourced to contractors, who then recruit people as data entry operators. Majority of these data entry operators are women. Each taluk in the state has at least one E-sevai centre and a data entry operator. The operators are generally paid around Rs. 6,800 or 6,900 as monthly salary, which is way below the instructed minimum wage...The union is also demanding job security and permanent status for the workers..Many centres do not even have toilet facilities or proper ventilation. Also, most of the time the workers are forced to take money from their pocket to buy stationary materials needed for the centre. This is adding to the already impoverished conditions of the workers.