Pourakarmika union demands direct payment for waste management workers

The BBMP is under pressure to bring waste collection staff under its payroll since the task is non-technical and would slash monthly expenditure by 20 to 30 per cent.

The civic body spends close to Rs 55 crore a month to collect and transport (C&T) waste from houses and commercial establishments by engaging private companies.

The current system in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike requires paying approximately Rs 59,000 per month per auto tipper and nearly Rs 2 lakh per month per compactor. There are around 4,700 auto tippers (with 20 vehicles per ward) and 600 compactors (used for collecting waste from tippers and transporting it to processing plants and landfills). The estimated monthly cost is expected to exceed Rs 60 crore as the BBMP is planning to bring in new bidders.

The current and proposed system only benefits contractors, according to waste collection staff. Although the BBMP pays a monthly salary for both the driver and helper of each auto tipper and compactor, the contractor only employs one staff member in most vehicles. There is also pilferage since the contractor does not send vehicles to every house daily, as required by the tender.

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Maitreyi Krishnan of BBMP Pourakarmikara Sangha has suggested that the civic body should put drivers, helpers, loaders, and cleaners working in solid waste management under the direct payment system, similar to the pourakarmikas (cleanliness staff).

“The present system treats drivers and helpers as slaves. Workers do not receive minimum wages, are being paid late or not at all with wages being kept pending for three to six months. They do not receive social security benefits,” she said.

“Why should the BBMP need contractors when they offer no technical expertise?” Maitreyi asked.

The Sangha said tenders floated to collect and transport waste be cancelled immediately. “Solid waste management is an obligatory function of the BBMP. The work is an essential service and is perennial in nature. Such a contract system will only be a continuation of modern slavery,” she said.

Pros and cons

Dr Harish Kumar, Special Commissioner, Solid Waste Management, BBMP, stated that the demand they presented had both advantages and disadvantages. “It requires major capital investment as we have currently outsourced both men and machinery (vehicles) to private enterprises,” he said.

Regarding the issue of staff not receiving minimum wages, Kumar stated that the BBMP has decided to pay drivers and helpers directly once the new tender system is implemented.