Meerut sanitation workers paid Rs 7k per month, without hike, for 15 yrs

MEERUT: Sanitation workers under the Meerut Municipal Corporation (MMC) continue to be paid Rs 7,140 each per month, a salary which has not been increased in the last 15 years, the workers have claimed in a letter sent to the mayor of Meerut. The workers, organised under the Safai Mazdoor Sangh (SMS), have demanded an increase in pay up to Rs 19,500 and payment of arrears on that basis since January 2016.
“We risk our lives and carry the filth of the city to our homes after cleaning drains the entire day. And we do not even get our right in return,” said Suresh Gautam, a sanitation worker at the MMC. While the permanent workers have not been given a pay hike in a decade, those employed on a temporary basis face even worse hardships as they do not even get their dues on time, the workers alleged.
“We do not even get our salary when it is due. It is often delayed by many months. We keep running around and asking for our money but that doesn’t work. It is a massive struggle every month. We have to work in the filthiest conditions that can exist and then we do not even get the little payment that is due on time,” said a temporary sanitation worker at the MMC.
“The workers should be getting their dues on time. The problem is both with temporary and permanent workers. They work in the worst possible conditions. There are 115 workers employed on a permanent basis and 300 on a temporary basis. Permanent workers have been paid only Rs 7,140 per month for the past 15 years. Their salary needs to increase to Rs 19,500 with arrears to be given from January 2016 onwards. For temporary workers, the MMC should make those who have been working for more than two years permanent. Then, their salaries should also be increased and paid on time,” said Kailash Chandola, secretary of the Safai Mazdoor Sangh.
“We will look into the demands and take necessary action. The letter will be forwarded to the board to arrive at a conclusion,” said mayor Harikant Ahluwalia.