BMC contract health workers get 180 days of paid maternity leave, end strike after 60 days

BMC has also recommended revised minimum wages for all such workers and punitive action against the contracting agency for salary delays.

Two months after 1200 health workers contracted by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) went on strike to demand better working conditions, especially maternity leave, the Mumbai civic body has granted 180 days of paid maternity leave for outsourced female employees.

The striking contract workers included doctors, nurses, pharmacists, lab technicians, accountants, data entry operators, and medical social workers. (Representative)

Following an intervention by Mumbai mayor Ritu Tawde, the striking BMC employees withdrew the strike.

Apart from the paid maternity leave for outsourced female employees, the BMC has also recommended revised minimum wages for all such workers and punitive action against the contracting agency for salary delays.

A permanent grievance redressal resolution committee has also been established.

The strike

The striking contract workers included doctors, nurses, pharmacists, lab technicians, accountants, data entry operators, and medical social workers, who handled various services such as vaccinations, family planning programs, online surveys, maintaining online health records, and conducting medical health camps.

The workers, who are part of the National Urban Health Mission (NUHM) and undertake various services for the BMC’s health department, including vaccination, conducting household surveys, and facilitating maternal and child health care services.

The BMC told them they were co-ordinating with the state government to consider regularising workers who had served during Covid on a 'one-time policy' basis, as well as to seek a bonus for them.

“Unlike contract workers hired by the state government who are now being regularised, we lost out on this chance to be regularised with the BMC. This was because we were hired through a contractor and not directly by the government officials, and that worked against us,” said Pravin Chavan, who has been a contract data entry operator for ten years in the BMC.

These 1,200 workers had been agitating since August 31 to press their demands.

Various community health centres across the city were affected by this strike.

Komal Kamble, a nursing staff member who oversees healthcare for a population of 10,000 at the New Bainganwadi health post in Govandi, said 52 health posts across the city stopped functioning, impacting mother-child support initiatives such as vaccinations, pregnancy tests, and basic maternal health care procedures.

"Unless a mother is registered in the BMC healthcare portal, she cannot avail of facilities,” said Kamble.

Meanwhile, the mayor also wrote to the municipal commissioner, Ashwini Bhide, requesting an ex-gratia grant (bonus) of ₹5,000 for the 1,461 ASHA volunteers working under the BMC.

Tawde pointed out that despite receiving very modest remuneration, ASHA volunteers consistently perform vital, demanding tasks: delivering healthcare services, supporting vaccination drives, and ensuring that various government welfare schemes reach citizens at the grassroots level.