BMC OFFERS Rs 3.8K PAY HIKE TO CHWs

Mumbai: Over 4,000 women community health workers (CHWs) contracted with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) secured a partial victory on their demand for minimum wages (as reported in First India’s May 16, 2022 edition), on Friday. BMC authorities conceded a staggered wage hike of Rs 3,800 on the third day of their re-launched agitation.

Confirming this development, advocate Prakash Devdas, president of the Mahapalika Arogya Karmachari Sanghatana (MAKS), told First India, “We were called for negotiations by the BMC administrator, who deputed Additional Commissioner Sanjeev Kumar for the process. The civic administration has agreed to instantly enhance wages of CHWs by Rs 2,000 from this month. A further Rs 1,000 will be added to their wages from April 2023. It has also agreed to discontinue the TDS deduction of Rs 900 from their Rs 9,000 monthly emoluments henceforth.”

CHW employees had been demanding a minimum wage of Rs 15,581 per month, after its union persuaded the Bombay High Court to rule in its favour in September 2020. As a result of the Friday meeting, the BMC has committed to enhancing monthly emoluments from the current wage of Rs 8,100 (including Rs 900 deducted as TDS) to Rs 11,000 (effectively Rs 11,900 per month since the TDS will no longer be charged) and a further enhancement of Rs 1,000 from April 2023.

The women workers have been agitating over the issue at the iconic Azad Maidan since June 01. They are awaiting formal assurances from the BMC before they officially withdraw their strike.

“Even with the adhoc increment, we have not withdrawn from our original demand for minimum wage emolument of Rs 15,581,” Advocate Devdas told First India. He added, “In addition to the agreed enhancements offered today, we are insisting that the entire Rs 3,000 increment be made applicable from June 2022 itself. The BMC has also included another 20 diseases (apart from the existing 20 diseases) to the incentives list for detection and reportage for CHWs. While the BMC authorities claim that this would lead to a further enhancement of Rs 5000 per month, we are convinced that the current incentives are only resulting in cash incentives between Rs 1000 and Rs 3,000.”