Safai workers protest for Rs 15,000 wage

Mumbai: Sweepers, who are class IV employees contracted by civic bodies, protested at Azad Maidan on Tuesday, demanding to be paid a statutory minimum wage.

They said that wages of some workers had not been paid for the past three months. Vivek Pandit, president of Shramajeevi Kamagar Sangathana, said, “In February, the minimum wage in the state was revised to approximately Rs 15,000 per month.”

“Civic bodies are purposely labelling these contract workers as ‘volunteers’ to keep them away from their rightful benefits,” he added.

Each worker has pending dues of over Rs 50,000 since February.