Noida: Contractual sanitation workers protest over extra workload

On Thursday, the Noida authority approved medical insurance for 4,800 sanitation workers addressing their long-standing demands, a Noida authority spokesperson said

Noida: Around 200 contractual sanitation workers observed a day-long strike and staged a protest against the Noida authority at its Sector 94 office on Thursday over being assigned additional work beyond the sanitation job that they have been doing for a long time, said officials.

“Earlier, we used to clean the roads and drains if choked in our area. However, last month the Authority handed over the health department work to the civil department and added civil responsibilities to sanitation workers. Now, if there is construction and demolition waste, development of central verge or pathway, we are engaged to do this,” said one of the protesting sanitation workers. (HT Archive)

The protestors were also miffed with the health department scrapping its role and handing over sanitation tasks to circle officers, they added.

Raising slogans against senior officials, the participating workers alleged that the authority was assigning them additional work beyond the sanitation job.

“The authority wants us to carry out civil works in addition to sweeping and cleaning job. If we refuse, they threaten us of job loss and salary cuts. We also demand medical insurance cover for us and our families,” said Kusum Kumari, a sanitation worker, who participated in the protesttold HT.

The protest was carried out under the banner of Akhil Bhartiya Safai Mazdoor Congress from 11am onwards.

Ravi Kumar Tank, a sanitation worker and resident of Sector 101, said he has been working for 10 years, from 7 am to 3 pm, covering Sector 128 and the Asgharpur area.

“Earlier, we used to clean the roads and drains if choked in our area. However, last month the Authority handed over the health department work to the civil department and added civil responsibilities to sanitation workers. Now, if there is construction and demolition waste, development of central verge or pathway, we are engaged to do this,” he said.

“We are paid ₹18,400 per month. When there is no salary hike, why should we do additional work? We have been working with the authority for the last many years, but did not get any salary hike. Also, they haven’t provided medical cover to our families and us,” he added.

The Noida authority said it is addressing the sanitation workers’ grievances.

“On Thursday, the Noida authority approved medical insurance for 4,800 sanitation workers addressing their long-standing demands. We have completed the formalities with the State Bank of India in this regard. Also, the authority has undertaken measures to provide better healthcare services to these workers at government-run hospitals,” said a Noida authority spokesperson in a press statement, adding that the authority was addressing all their demands as per the law.