MCD multi-task staff go on strike over equal pay and leaves

Workers said while they were only getting paid around ₹15,000 to 19,000 a month, newer, junior MTS workers had been receiving higher salaries; around ₹27,000 per month.

The multi-tasking staff (MTS) of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) started an indefinite sit-in strike in front of the MCD civic centre from Monday, stating that they will not return to work until their demands are met. The workers are protesting for equal pay for all the workers, compensatory employment for families of MTS workers who died before retirement, and the provision of earned and medical leaves.

The workers on strike consist of domestic breeding checkers (DBCs) and contact field workers (CFWs), groups who were both made MTS last year.

The workers on strike consist of domestic breeding checkers (DBCs) and contact field workers (CFWs), groups who were both made MTS last year. Despite regularisation of their services, workers at the protest said they have consistently been receiving low wages, working in unsafe conditions, and not receiving any medical compensation for injuries caused by their professions.

“Many workers have gotten ill or injured during work – for instance, by falling off from a roof while checking for larvae – and cannot go to work. Despite it being a medical situation, they get salary cuts,” said 29-year-old Manjit Parsad, who has been working as a CFW since 2015. “We are anyway asked to work 30 days a month, with no rest.”

Meeting the striking MCD workers, LoP in MCD House Ankush Narang said the BJP government must immediately accept all their demands. “The BJP-led MCD is using financial excuses to ignore the minimum wage demands of these employees. These workers protect the people of Delhi from diseases like malaria, and dengue, but the BJP is unable to fulfil even their basic needs,” he said.

Workers said while they were only getting paid around ₹15,000 to 19,000 a month, newer, junior MTS workers had been receiving higher salaries; around ₹27,000 per month. “We cannot do anything with this salary. It is difficult to pay our children’s fees, despite doing work which is extremely mentally and physically taxing. Costs also increase every year. The MCD always tells us that we are valuable workers, but if our work is so valuable then why doesn’t our salary increase?” said Neha, 38, who has been a DBC worker since 2006.

Neha and many other workers said switching jobs was not an option for them, as they were denied employment due to their age, and do not have the means to put themselves through training.

Pawan Singh, 32, became a CFW after his father, also a CFW, died – a rare instance of compensatory employment. However, he said even he had to struggle for a long time for the job. “My father died in 2014, but I got the job only in 2019. Even then, they hired me as a contractual worker, and not a permanent one, allowing them to pay me a lower wage,” he said.

DBC union representatives said the MCD had promised them on multiple occasions that their demands would be met, but there had not been any changes. “We are not able to provide for our family, teach our children, support our parents, or even pay our bills, and have gotten old facing these situations. We are told to work for Delhi’s public, but are we not Delhi’s public?” asked the union president, Madan Pal (55).

Workers said they would remain on strike until their demands are met. “We are holding a peaceful protest, and are ready to stay here as long as we need to, despite the MCD threatening to fire us if we do not stop our protest. Over 3,000 workers are on strike, and some people will stay here overnight as well,” said Devanand Sharma (52), general secretary of the DBC union.