87 sanitation workers wait for ₹6 lakh in arrears each from KDMC

Sanitation workers in Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation have been denied their rightful arrears and benefits, including minimum wage and bonuses. The workers are demanding what they are owed and have staged a protest. The municipal corporation has promised to submit a proposal of their demands within 10 days.

Sunil Kand has been working as a sanitation worker with the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) since 2006 - first as a sweeper till 2011, then as a garbage compactor driver until now.

87 sanitation workers wait for ₹6 lakh in arrears each from KDMC

On February 24, 2015, the state issued a government resolution (GR) increasing the minimum wage from ₹7,000 to ₹20,000 per month. However, for the next six years Kand received his old salary because the civic body allegedly did not update his record.

It was only after social activist Medha Patkar wrote to the principal secretary in 2021 that he started getting ₹20,000 from August that year. But for the intervening years when he had gone partially unpaid, KDMC owes him around ₹6 lakh. Patkar is the chairman of Shramik Janta Sangh Trade Union, which Kand is part of.

Kand is one of the 87 sanitation workers who have been denied their rightful arrears. Last week, they staged a protest in front of the KDMC headquarters.

“We’re the earliest sanitation workers working since 2006. Each of us has a pending arrears of around ₹6 lakh. We’ve also not been given Diwali bonuses which was ordered by the industrial court in November 2021. We worked for years on such a low salary. We are demanding what we are rightfully owed,” Kand said.

Bapu Ovhal, another affected worker, said, “We survived those years with much difficulty. I used to work a second job; whatever I could find that fetched me ₹200 to ₹300 a day. It’s much better now.”

“First we fought for the workers to get the minimum wage,” said general secretary of the union, Jagdish Khairalia. “Now we’re fighting for them to get the difference in the wage they should have gotten since 2015. These workers don’t get Diwali bonuses and protective gear such as raincoats, gloves, gumboots, etc. Neither do they get free medical treatment at government hospitals. Don’t they deserve these?”

The protesters met Archana Dive, deputy municipal commissioner, who promised to submit a proposal of their demands to the municipal commissioner within 10 days. “If we don’t receive a positive response, we will intensify our protest,” Kand said. The workers and the union will seek an update from KDMC on October 26.

Atul Patil, deputy municipal commissioner with solid waste management department, said, “We’ve started the process to get the workers protective gear.”