A Stinking Issue? Pending Salary Force Garbage Collectors to Stop Work

A Stinking Issue? Pending Salary Force Garbage Collectors to Stop Work

Mangaluru: If its still stinking out there in the city, it’s because since yesterday, the civic workers of the private company named Antony Waste Handling Cell Pvt Ltd handling solid waste for the Mangaluru City Corporation stayed away from collecting solid waste on a door-to-door basis. The reason due to salary issue- and this issue which was suppose to be settled by Tuesday again has not been resolved-and in the meantime the garbage collectors are still on strike. But when Team Mangalorean contacted Corporator Sabitha Misquith, she said that the issue will settled soon this morning and the workers will be back to work. But as of now, 10 am 22 November, garbage in houses, apartments and public bins has piled up. On an average, 300 to 320 tonnes of garbage gets accumulated in the city. And with garbage not being picked up, stray dogs and other stray animals have been tearing up the garbage bags and feasting on the waste.

This is not the first time that the employees of this waste handling company had issues with getting paid salary in time- as per a driver of the garbage truck, he said there had been about 30 protests since two years relating to salary issues- and nothing much has been done in preventing such issues happening again. It is learnt that there are around 650 civic workers in addition to the 130 drivers employed by Antony Waste Handling Company. Salary for the last couple of months have been kept pending for these garbage collectors. The waste handling workers were very reluctant to get back to work if their demands were not meant, and speaking to Team Mangalorean. Susheela (name changed) with tears in her eyes said,” It looks like we are working for free. Since two months we have not been paid. I have two kids, my husband is sick and has been bedridden for weeks-how am I suppose to take care of them without salary. Our company has been fooling us with promises and assurances. MCC Mayor and MCC officials have to come up with a proper solution to this ongoing salary issue which has happened quite a few times”.

Sources reveal that MCC was suppose to remit payment due for two months of September and October 2017 to the waste collection company. Rs 4.5 crore that was due, of which Rs 1.75 crore has been credited to bank account of the Waste Company. Even though MCC had assured the company to credit Rs 50 lac to its account on Wednesday, 22 November, but as of now the garbage collectors are still on strike. It is also learnt that as per the bilateral agreement, additional money arising out of revision of minimum wages and hike in petrol and diesel costs have also to be paid to the company by the corporation since a year. MCC mayor, Kavita Sanil, MCC commissioner Mohammed Nazeer and other MCC officials had a meeting with the representatives of the company on Tuesday evening, during which MCC had promised to clear the dues, and that garbage collection should be resumed on Wednesday morning. But as of now there are no exact details why the garbage collectors are still on strike.

Sheshappa (name changed) a tempo driver with AWH said, ” I have been with company for nearly 2 years, since it started its operation.But as far as I can remember we have protested nearly 29 times in order to get our salary. Many a times only after our protests we were able to get paid. That’s not right. We work hard and many a times over-time- but if we don’t get paid in time, our faith in the company is lost.”

In general, employees of such companies not only lose their jobs, but are often left in the dust. However, one thing should be clear – employees must be paid by any means whatsoever. When it comes to companies in this predicament, they have to scramble – whatever they can do, but take care of their employees and their wages first, and not put them in hardship- which may lead them into protest, resulting in citizens to face the stinky smell of the garbage that is piled outside their houses/apartments or businesses. .

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