Over 8,000 NMMC Contract Workers Go on Indefinite Strike, City’s Sanitation Hit

The Workers

More than 8,050 contractual workers of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) have launched an indefinite strike, bringing garbage collection and other civic services to a standstill. The workers are demanding equal pay for equal work, citing a policy adopted by NMMC in 2007.

The protest stems from wage disparities between contractual and permanent employees. Workers are demanding salaries on par with fourth-class permanent staff, along with benefits such as gratuity, earned leave, medical leave, provident fund, and uniforms.

Union leader Mangesh Ladh stated that despite years of legal battles, committee reports, and government assurances, no final decision has been implemented. A 2022 committee found that equal pay for contractual workers would cost the NMMC an additional ₹20.43 crore annually. However, proposals sent to the state government have not been acted upon.

Protesting workers have accused the administration of prioritizing other projects over their rightful wages. They point out that while newly hired permanent employees in 2024 receive significantly higher salaries, many contractual workers with over 29 years of service remain underpaid.

The strike is expected to severely impact sanitation, garbage collection, vector control, and public garden maintenance, raising public health concerns.

“Road sweeping, garbage collection, and sewage complaints will be unattended if the strike continues. I hope the NMMC Commissioner resolves the issue soon,” former corporator Divya Vaibhav Gaikwad said.

Workers have vowed to continue their protest until they receive a written assurance from the authorities.

Police Form 10 Squads to Track Down Kharghar Murder Suspects.

The Teams

Mumbai police have set up 10 squads to locate and arrest the suspects involved in the murder of 45-year-old IT specialist Shivkumar Roshanlal Sharma in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai. Sharma was attacked on February 2 while returning home from Vashi on his two-wheeler.

According to reports, two helmeted assailants on a motorcycle stopped Sharma near Utsav Chowk, accusing him of reckless overtaking. A confrontation ensued, during which one suspect, dressed in a black kurta-pajama, held Sharma while the other, wearing a green kurta-pajama, repeatedly struck his head with a helmet. The attackers fled the scene.

Sharma managed to reach the police station to file a complaint but collapsed moments later. He was rushed to a private hospital, where doctors declared him dead.

Authorities are analyzing technological evidence to track the suspects and are awaiting a lab report on blurry images of the attackers’ vehicle registration number. CCTV footage has captured their movements at a toll booth in Navi Mumbai.

Senior Inspector Deepak Surve confirmed that Sharma worked as a project manager at an IT firm in Real Tech Park, near Vashi railway station. A murder case has been filed, and a manhunt is underway.

Meanwhile, BJP leaders Nitesh Rane and Kirit Somaiya visited Sharma’s family, assuring them of swift justice. Somaiya stated that police had promised to arrest the accused within two days, condemning the brutality of the attack.

NMMC urges contract workers to end Illegal strike, cites ongoing efforts.

The Actions

The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has urged contract workers to call off their indefinite strike, calling it unlawful and unnecessary. Despite the administration’s steps to address their concerns, the Samaj Samata Kamgar Sangh (Navi Mumbai) began the strike on Monday.

NMMC clarified that contract workers have been employed through contractors since its inception and are paid as per the Minimum Wages Act, not entitled to “equal pay for equal work” per a 2013 Supreme Court ruling. The corporation assured that wages, allowances, and bonuses are being regularly disbursed.

To resolve the issue, NMMC sought guidance from the state government in 2022 and 2023. In September 2024, the government advised the corporation to evaluate its financial capacity and decide accordingly. A committee found that implementing “equal pay for equal work” would lower wages below the minimum wage. This was conveyed to labor unions in meetings on December 27, 2024, and January 16, 2025.

A high-level meeting on January 3, chaired by NMMC Commissioner Dr. Kailas Shinde, led to the formation of a special committee under a retired Additional Chief Secretary to reassess the issue. The panel’s first meeting is scheduled for February 12, 2025.

Despite these steps, workers accuse NMMC of submitting incorrect reports and ignoring the Chief Minister’s directives. NMMC has urged unions to await the committee’s report and warned that disrupting civic services through an unlawful strike would harm citizens.