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Pune sanitary workers wage battle: High Court orders PCMC to pay pending salaries
The PCMC has not paid complete salaries to contract sanitation workers for 14 years, the civic body will have to pay Rs 16.9 crore within a month, along with nine per cent interest
High Court orders PCMC to pay pending salaries of contract sanitation workers The Bombay High Court has directed the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to pay the pending salaries of 469 contract sanitation workers . The PCMC has not paid complete salaries to contract sanitation workers for 14 years, the civic body will have to pay Rs 16.9 crore within a month, along with nine per cent interest.
Yashwant Bhosale president of Rashtriya Shramik Aghadi (RSA) in a press conference on Tuesday said that the order was issued by Sailesh Pol, upper labour commissioner on February 28. Bhosle said, “PCMC had promised Rs 13,000 salary to sanitary workers per month; however they only paid them Rs 8,000. The difference amount of Rs 5,000 will be paid to these sanitary workers for the first time. This decision is historic and will beneficial for all sanitation workers.
Yashwant Bhosale had filed a petition in the Bombay High Court in 2001 against the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation. In his petition Bhosle stated that contractual sanitation workers should be made permeant and should be paid according to the equal work, equal pay act.In 2004 court ordered that, contractual workers should be continued even after contractor changed.Court also ordered that,as per equal work, equal pay act,PCMC should pay wage difference of Rs 16 crore from 1998 to till 2004.
However, the PCMC moved to the Supreme Court and succeeded to stay the order given by the lower court. After which PCMC asked sanitary workers to sop coming to work. However, On January 12, 2016 , the Supreme Court upheld the appeal of the High Court and rejected the appeal of the PCMC. However, PCMC did not ask the contract sanitation workers to rejoin.
Yashwant Bhosale filed contempt plea in the High Court on November 18, 2016 against the municipal commissioner. During the hearing, the court ordered the upper labour commissioner to find out the exact wage of 572 sanitation workers.
Sailesh Pol, upper labour commissioner verified all the documents mentioned in the petition. Out of 572 workers 469 were identified and as per ‘equal work, equal pay’ act. Pol then issued an order to the PCMC to pay Rs 16.9 crore which has been pending for 14 years, along with nine per cent interest before 31st March 2019.
The pending salary of deceased sanitation workers will be given to their family workers.
