Mumbai: Crisis looms as BMC health workers strike for better wages, benefits

Health workers and Asha workers stage a mass protest at Azad Maidan. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Approximately 4,000 community health volunteers (CHVs) with BMC's health department are on strike, resulting in a disruption of essential services. A few hundred of them held a protest at Azad Maidan on Tuesday.

CHVs are instrumental in BMC's door-to-door services, distributing prophylactics to prevent monsoon illnesses. Some of their demands include a provident fund and pension as directed by the high court. They also demand an increase in monthly wages from Rs 12,000 to Rs 18,000. "There have been instances where retired CHVs have resorted to begging," said Bridula Patil, general secretary of the Municipal Corporation Health Workers Union.

Shalini Shinde, 64, a CHV in Vikhroli since the 90s, said, "I will be retiring in the next six months and depend on savings. No one else will hire me at this age. I have several health issues. My husband passed away a few years ago, and my son is a sanitation worker in Vidyavihar with two children to feed. Without a pension, I am looking at an uncertain future."

A few months ago, CHVs were assigned additional duties for Maratha reservation surveys. "Even after we have retired, they still have not disbursed compensation for the door-to-door surveys," said Salpe. The CHVs were promised Rs 100 for 190 questions that Open and Maratha category individuals had to answer on the application and Rs 10 for OBCs.

Alongside the CHVs, ASHA workers were also protesting. "Since 2016, BMC has not been hiring CHVs. Instead, they have hired ASHAs and are making them work for lower wages," said Sunita Sutar, a CHV in Bandra. Head of the union Prakash Devdas said, "If ASHAs had not been in this protest, they would have been made to do the extra work of the CHVs. We demand that ASHAs be taken in as CHVs with the same wages for the posts where CHVs have retired."

The union decided not to let the workers stay overnight, however, they will be back on the maidan opposite BMC headquarters on Wednesday. "We have a meeting with Sudhakar Shinde scheduled for tomorrow afternoon. Depending on the conclusion of that meeting, the union will decide whether to extend or end the strike."