Labour Minister Akash Fundkar reportedly instructed the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) administration to immediately resolve the issue of salary hikes and other benefits for contractual workers.
This directive came after a meeting held at Mantralaya on Monday between the minister and Dr. Sanjeev Naik, former MP and President of Shramik Sena. The meeting was to highlight the concerns regarding the wages and working conditions of contractual, temporary, daily-wage, and contract-based workers in NMMC and Navi Mumbai Transport Services.
The meeting was facilitated by the Forest Minister Ganesh Naik as the Shramik Sena has sought for his intervention in the matter.
NMMC is informed to have employed a total of 8000 odd workers on contract for sanitation works. Another 1400 workers are stated to be employed with the transport body and 1000 more are working with various departments.. "This workforce includes sanitation workers, teachers, nurses, engineers, doctors, conductors, drivers, and health department staff. However, since 2010, these workers have been receiving inadequate wages," informed an official from the Forest Minister Ganesh Naik's office.
A matter strongly advocated during the meeting was for a salary hike along with additional benefits for the contractual workers. " Its is long overdue that the workers receive fair compensation to improve their standard of living and fulfill their responsibilities effectively," said the Shramik Sena PResident Dr Sanjeev Naik
The Labor minister is informed to have directed the municipal administration to submit the Srivastava Committee report on salary hikes within a week.
"Since the municipal corporation is an autonomous body, he instructed that once the report is received, a final decision on the salary hike must be taken within the next week to resolve the issue promptly. He also clarified that this decision applies only to NMMC due to the high number of contractual workers within the corporation," said the official.
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary of the Labour Department I. A. Kundan, NMMC Commissioner Dr. Kailas Shinde, Labour Commissioner H. P. Tumod, Deputy Labour Commissioners Pradeep Pawar and Wagh, and Assistant Labour Commissioner Sarika Raut, along with other senior officials. Representing Shramik Sena, General Secretary Charan Jadhav, Suraj Patil, and Vijay Sale were also present.
