MUMBAI: Fearing the lack of their jobs, the help system of Mumbai’s rubbish assortment system—round 8,000 motor loaders who tip rubbish into compactors, 1,300 drivers, and technical employees—have threatened to go on strike from Wednesday if the BMC goes forward with its plan to outsource your complete mechanism to contractors. A protest at Azad Maidan has been deliberate on Tuesday, adopted by the strike if the BMC doesn’t again down.
Mumbai, India – June 11, 2025: All BMC employees unions collect at dadar towards privatisation in Mumbai, India, on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. (Photograph by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Occasions) (Hindustan Occasions)
“If Mumbai’s garbage isn’t picked up even for a day in the rains, it will be a catastrophe,” stated Waman Kaviskar, convener of the MNP Kamgaar Sanghatana Sangharsh Samiti (MNP KSSS Union), an umbrella physique fashioned of all of the municipal rubbish employees’ unions for this battle. “But we’re being forced to do this to ensure that city cleaners don’t lose their jobs.”
Whereas the BMC hires the waste compactors automobiles from contractors, it’s its personal labour—everlasting and contract employees included—that runs the streets. However because the earlier seven-year contracts close to their finish, the civic physique has opted to outsource your complete operation to contractors, from the automobiles and manpower to rubbish bins and the gathering route.
“It is a more cost-effective option,” deputy municipal commissioner (strong waste administration), Kiran Dighavkar had defined, because the BMC floated tenders for the brand new system of assortment and transportation on Could 14. Crucially, whereas the previous system was paid per shift and value ₹3,627 per tonne, the brand new system can pay the contractor by the quantity of waste transported and can price ₹2,864 per ton. Solely wards L, M East and M West have been excluded to make use of the BMC’s personal compactor automobiles until such time as they’re usable.
On Wednesday, the very day that the MNP KSSS Union held a gathering in Dadar, which over 1,500 employees attended, the BMC prolonged the deadline for bid submission until June 26. “We want nothing less than the tender being cancelled,” stated Kaviskar. “We have already sent the BMC a legal notice on May 29, informing them of our plan to go on strike if our demands are not accepted.”
Kaviskar termed the BMC’s change within the system as “privisatisation”. “There are around 16,000 motor loaders who load garbage into compactors, and half of whom are permanent workers,” he stated. “Not only is the BMC planning to give their jobs to contractors, it is also reducing the requirement of motor loaders per compactor. There are also at least 1,300 compactor drivers and BMC garage staff who will be affected.”
Whereas the BMC has promised the motor loaders that they won’t lose their jobs and will probably be shifted to the night sweeping shift as an alternative, the union leaders don’t have any religion on this. “The corporation already has evening shift sweepers and mechanical sweepers,” stated Kaviskar. “It doesn’t need additional staff.” The union chief identified that not solely would the employees lose their jobs, their future generations too would miss out on inheriting their jobs as a result of preferential therapy (PT) positions conservancy employees are entitled to.
Questioning Dighavkar’s declare that the brand new system can be cost-effective, Kaviskar stated, “The BMC will pay contractors to handle waste collection and transportation. But it is also promising to continue paying the permanent motor loaders in a different role. How is that cost-cutting?”
Dighavkar remained unperturbed by the strike menace. “We have assured the workers that none of them will lose their jobs, earnings or PT case benefits,” he stated. “Motor loaders will be made evening shift sweepers in the same ward, as anyway we are increasing their numbers. No garages will be closed down either. We will convince the workers and unions.”