Don’t dump us, say sanitation workers

Privatisation of waste collection: Decision on strike deferred till July 23 after CM says no jobs will be lost

- Sabah Virani

On the eve of a whirlwind change to Mumbai's waste collection and transportation system, threatening to wipe away jobs of thousands of motor loaders—those who tip your garbage into compactors— in the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC’s) sanitation workers staged an uproar at Azad Maidan on Thursday.

Over 1,000 workers descended upon the historic ground from 2pm after their morning shifts, anxious over potentially losing their jobs to privatisation. Two months after the BMC first floated a proposal to rope in private contractors to carry out waste collection and transportation, Friday is the last day for bids to pour in from companies vying to take over the entire process—from supplying garbage compactors, labourers, drivers, crafting the waste collection route, and all the duties in between.

Despite the BMC's promise to its permanent motor loaders— there are approximately 6,000, of which 4,500 are active—that they would continue to be on the payroll and only their roles would be tweaked, there was little trust in the civic body's assurance. Meanwhile, the fate of the approximately 1,500 motor loaders employed on contract is still undecided.

After deliberating whether to embark ona strike from Friday and let Mumbai's garbage overflow on the streets, the protesting workers finally decided to defer the decision to July 23 after chief minister Devendra Fadnavis assured them that no sanitation worker's post would be removed.