Delhi polls: Job regularisation, wage hike on sanitation workers’ poll wish list

Another major issue raised by both permanent and temporary workers is the lack of adequate safety and insurance measures.
On October 16, the chief minister handed job-regularisation certificates to 607 sanitation workers, offering some relief to long-serving employees.
On October 16, the chief minister handed job-regularisation certificates to 607 sanitation workers, offering some relief to long-serving employees.
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NEW DELHI: The sanitation workers of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) have put forward their own set of demands ahead of the assembly elections, chief among which is the regularisation of temporary workers. In the past, temporary sanitation workers numbering around 20,000 have held multiple demonstrations against the civic body.

“Permanent employees get multiple benefits including job security and financial support in case of death while on duty. At the same time, we are not even sure how long we will remain employed,” said Ravi Gupta, a temporary sanitation worker.

Low wages for workers are also a matter of concern. “It is simply not possible to survive in Delhi with a salary of just Rs 17,000 and we are struggling to manage their households,” Ravi added.

Another major issue raised by both permanent and temporary workers is the lack of adequate safety and insurance measures. “Sanitation work is physically demanding and hazardous, yet there’s no health insurance or safety equipment provided to us,” said Shashi Kumar, another sanitation worker. “The government must introduce cashless medical cards to ensure we get immediate care in case of accidents.”

Kumar also called for faster processing of appointments for those hired on compensatory grounds. “My mother worked for the MCD and passed away during her service. It took years for me to secure a permanent position despite meeting the eligibility criteria,” he said.

On October 16, the chief minister handed job-regularisation certificates to 607 sanitation workers, offering some relief to long-serving employees. In December, a parliamentary committee recommended regularising all Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) sanitation workers who have completed 10 years of service.

The Committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, in its report presented in the Rajya Sabha, highlighted that many workers are unjustly denied regularisation due to breaks in their service records.

Despite dedicating over a decade to the MCD, these workers remain ineligible for permanent status. Voting for assembly polls is scheduled for February 5.

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