Mumbai: Corporators have demanded better wages for 4,000 civic healthcare workers who work on a meagre monthly salary of ₹5,000. The matter came up before the general assembly on Monday.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) runs primary healthcare centres in each ward, which are manned by anganwadi sevika (women healthcare workers). Apart from that, the women go on slum visits to educate women about precautions to be taken during pregnancy, child birth and child care. These workers are not on the BMC payroll. They are called volunteers in official records and paid an honorarium. They work for a fee of ₹5,000 per month. Hundreds of sevikas had protested at the BMC headquarters on Friday seeking better wages.
“The Central and State governments have given healthcare workers all the benefits under labour laws but the BMC does not seem to be serious about it. They are being deprived of their rights,” said leader of the Opposition Ravi Raja in a statement in the general assembly on Monday. Mr. Raja demanded that these women be paid salaries on par with BMC staffers, be given retirement benefits, maternity leave and house rent allowance among other things. Corporators across parties supported the statement. Nationalist Ccongress Party leader Rakhi Jadhav said it was inhuman to expect these women to work for such a paltry sum.
Sena member of the Legislative Assembly Sunil Prabhu too supported the statement, demanding wages of Rs 10,000 for each worker. “In these times of inflation, how can anyone run a household on ₹5,000? These women should also get maternity leave,” Mr. Prabhu said. Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Health) Sunil Dhamne said, “The matter is sub-judice. A bunch of petitions are being heard by the Supreme Court. The next hearing is tomorrow. We will wait for SC directives.”