Delhi sanitation workers strike: That stinking feeling

On Thursday, Diwali was celebrated in the national Capital amid lights, fireworks, feasts — and tonnes of garbage. Of the 54,000 sanitaton workers in Delhi, around 16,000 have been on strike since October 11, demanding salaries, arrears, dignity of labour, cashless health cards and job regularisation. While the workforce returned to work a day before the festival there was not enough time to clear the heaps of trash piled up in the neighbourhoods. The workers have already announced to resume their strike from today.

Safai karmacharis in Delhi are organised in different unions affiliated to political parties. Only 15-20 per cent are permanent employees, while the rest have been on contracts with the corporations for years — a major cause for resentment. With the issue remaining unresolved, there have been five strikes in the last two years. Earlier this year, some of these unions struck work in January. In 2015, workers struck work in May and then in November —  the biggest agitation that almost caused the city to sink in its own garbage. The issue was raised even in the Parliament, exposing both the Arvind Kejriwal-led city government and the BJP-ruled municipal corporations, to  clear the mess.

The genesis of a perennial blame-game lies in the fact that the corporations administratively report to the Union Home Ministry through the Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) chosen by the Centre. But the three bodies depend on grants-in-aid from the Delhi government. The Delhi government coordinates with the three corporations through a directorate of civic bodies. The money released by the Home Ministry also reaches them through the Delhi government.

In Delhi, the municipal corporations manage waste, run primary schools, hospitals and community services, share upkeep of roads, drains and parks with other agencies, besides regulating small trade and business. But after the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was trifurcated in 2012, administrative expenses have gone up, while shared revenue is not of much help, resulting in multiple crises, including the present one.

In the April elections, the BJP won the three corporations for the third term in a row, handing a crushing defeat to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress. The Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari promised to fight for the rights of the sanitation workers, and involve the Central government in paying off their dues. Nothing much has happened. And the 2,100-odd filthy community bins (dhalaos) that serve as secondary collection centres for the three municipal bodies in thousands of colonies have started overflowing.

The cash-strapped East civic body has been the worst hit by the strike. While it requires at least Rs 2,000 crore to pay off the arrears to its sanitation workforce, the AAP government has not released funds, unions have alleged. The North corporation is also struggling for cash. AAP councillors, volunteers and leaders of Opposition in the city’s three civic bodies have, on their part, protested against the BJP for a solution to Delhi’s garbage woes. The South corporation is better off in terms of resources because it earns higher property and other taxes.

“We have been trying to generate more sources of revenue. However, we need over Rs 2,000 crore to pay the arrears. We have been asking the city government to release Rs 200 crores, which will help us meet some of the demands. We have held a number of meetings with the L-G for benefits under the recommendations of the Fourth Finance Commission, which can help us tide over our financial crunch,” said East corporation mayor Neema Bhagat.

Early this week, sanitation workers, demanding their dues, dumped garbage in front of Deputy CM Manish Sisodia’s Madhi Vihar office, and outside Bhagat’s residence in Geeta Colony. They also burnt their effigies. Authorities in Delhi have as it is failed to find fresh landfills to take in the 10,500 million metric tonnes (MT) of municipal solid waste (MSW) that Delhi produces every day. By 2020, the Capital needs an additional area of 28 sq km to dump 15,000 MT of waste daily. But residents have been opposed to new landfills in their neighbourhood for fear of water, soil and air pollution.

Plight of workers

Sitting outside his shanty in East Delhi’s Patparganj area, sanitation worker Ved Prakash, 35, was cursing his job. He does not want to recall June 2015 when he had to withdraw the name of his son from a private school after failing to pay his fees. “My son used to study in a private school. We had to withdraw his name from there and enrol him in a government school after we failed to submit his fees for three consecutive months,” he said.

“I could not pay the fees as I had not received my salary for five months from the corporation. And nothing has changed since then,” he said. “Do you think we like going on strike every now and then? We are helpless,” he added. Prakash’s plight does not end there. He is one of the 5,000 sanitation workers who were made permanent in 2003, but have not received their arrears yet. “Though we were made permanent in 2003 our salaries were revised only after 10 years in 2013. And now four more years have passed and we have not received our arrears,” he rued.

According to Sanjay Gehlot, president of MCD Swachtta Karamachari Union, as many as 5,000 sanitation workers were made permanent in 2003 and around 2,000, a year later. “Every time civic officials pacify the workers by releasing their salaries. This time again they have released the salary and the Diwali bonus. But what about the arrears which have been pending since 2003? We want the arrears now,” he said.

The condition of sanitation workers, who are working on contractual basis is even more alarming. They only get work when permanent employees go on leave. They get paid around Rs 500 on daily basis, and they get work only for 10-15 days in a month.

Satya Sen, 40, said, “I have been working as a contractual worker with the East corporation since 2000. Seventeen years have passed, but I have not been made permanent. I get work for 10-15 days in a month just like a recharge coupon to feed my family of six,” he said. “I also have to pay a rent of Rs 5,000 per month for my one-room house in East Delhi’s Kalyanpuri. I have to work on construction sites for at least 10 days a month to earn that rent,” Sen said.

The demand for regularisation of contractual workers has remained a bone of contention between them and the corporations for a long period of time. However, no concrete decision has been taken on the matter as of now.

“Majority of the sanitation workers are working on contractual basis for the last 10-15 years. They are deprived of all perks, including medical cover and retirement benefits. They have to search for alternative work options after every 10-15 days,” said Sanjay Gehlot. “We will continue our agitation till something concrete is announced by the corporation on regularisation,” he added.

CRISIS IN NUMBERS

• 16,000
  of Delhi’s 54,000 sanitation workers are agitating for salaries, arrears, dignity of labour, cashless health cards and job regularisation.
   
• 15-20%
  of these workers are permanent employees, while the rest have been on contracts with the corporations for years — a major cause for resentment.
   
• 5,000
  sanitation workers were made permanent in 2003, but have not received their arrears yet.
   
• Rs 2,000 cr
  needed by East corporation alone to clear dues
   
• 5
  strikes by safai karmacharis in the last two years

THE GENESIS

• After the Municipal Corporation of Delhi was trifurcated in 2012, administrative expenses have gone up, while shared revenue is not of much help, resulting in multiple crises, including the present one.
   
• BJP-ruled corporations report to Union Home Ministry through the L-G chosen by Central government, but depend on grants-in-aid from Delhi government.

Don’t bring such cases to us in courts. There must be somebody with whom you (Delhi government) are not at war. Be it the Union of India, MCDs or NDMC. If you have public interest in mind, then you will ensure that the MCDs do their job properly. Safai karamchari shall ensure that they seriously carry out the assigned duties of MCDs and no obstruction shall be caused.There can be no stoppage of essential work of cleaning and removal of garbage. Doing so imperils lives of public at large
Delhi High Court, bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar