Despite SC order, BMC denies conservancy workers basic rights

It’s not just the safai kamgars’ well-being that is overlooked by the civic body—even basic rights such as pension, gratuity and insurance are denied to them. It is in pursuance of these that over 1,500 safai kamgars, along with the widows of deceased workers, have been camping outside Azad Maidan

On Dec 1, the BMC inaugurated the ‘Majhi Mumbai, Swachha Mumbai’ (My Mumbai, Clean Mumbai) campaign with much fanfare. However, the administration’s clear apathy towards the safai kamgars or conservancy workers themselves was visible at Azad Maidan, where the workers have been on a dharna for the last 11 days.

Despite Supreme Court’s order in 2017, safai kamgar say it is not being followed by the civic body. They have sitting on a dharna at Azad Maidan since last 11 days.

It’s not just the safai kamgars’ well-being that is overlooked by the civic body—even basic rights such as pension, gratuity and insurance are denied to them. It is in pursuance of these that over 1,500 safai kamgars, along with the widows of deceased workers, have been camping outside Azad Maidan under the umbrella organisation Kachra Vahatuk Shramik Sangh.

Five years after the special leave petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court, an order was passed on April 7, 2017, to give provident fund, gratuity, pension and insurance to the widows of deceased safai kamgars and bring 1,100 contractual safai kamgars on to the BMC’s permanent payroll. With none of this done, the workers are feeling cheated.

“The civic body has deceived us,” Prem K, a safai kamgar from Borivali, told HT. “It has not issued a letter stating that I am a permanent employee despite the apex court’s order. I am still not entitled to PF, gratuity and petty cash despite being verified by the BMC. For lifting garbage from house to house for eight hours, I get a monthly income of only ₹16,000.”

Manisha Sonawane, 38, said her husband died working as a safai kamgar after suffering from a chronic illness in 2016, but the BMC had not yet given her the PF and insurance to which she is entitled. “Who will educate my two kids?” she asked. “We are not here to beg. We are here to ask for our rights.”

Recently, there was a frenzy of activity in 24 wards when safai kamgars were made to work on a war footing for the G-20 summit. Some revealed that politicians had even swarmed around them to wash their feet while launching the ‘Maajhi Mumbai, Swachha Mumbai’ campaign, a gesture they called a sham.

“When we finish our sweeping by night, we don’t have even basic facilities,” said a worker. “We clean the city but don’t have water or soap to wash ourselves. We are prone to diseases because of lack of hygiene. We don’t get proper gloves or gumboots, and our ‘protective jackets’, which cost ₹100, tear after one wear.”