Chennai sanitation awareness workers flag salary delays, seek wage revision

Chennai: Workers engaged under the Swachh Bharat Mission in the Greater Chennai Corporation have sought timely salary payments, higher wages and basic workplace facilities, alleging that recurring payment delays and additional duties have left them struggling to meet household expenses.

Their October salaries remained unpaid as of October 27, although contractual terms require payment by the fifth of every month, workers said. They alleged that wages were frequently credited only after the 20th, creating uncertainty for families dependent on the income.

The corporation employs 200 women animators, one for each ward, and 15 supervisors across its zones. Their primary responsibility is to promote segregation of wet and dry waste at source through door-to-door campaigns and public awareness activities.

Workers said animators were entitled to a monthly salary of Rs 16,000, with take-home pay of Rs 12,642 after Employees’ State Insurance and provident fund deductions. Supervisors receive Rs 21,000, with a take-home amount of Rs 15,600. They alleged that delays in processing salary claims and depositing provident fund contributions sometimes attracted penalties of Rs 500 per worker, which were passed on to employees, further reducing their earnings.

Fixed-term employment also offered no regular salary increments, they said. Beyond their sanitation awareness duties, workers said they were required to undertake administrative tasks and field assignments without additional compensation.

Their day often begins around 6.30 a.m. with monitoring garbage collection and visiting households. Other assignments include collecting demographic information for government health card schemes and locating street ragpickers late at night to upload their details through mobile applications, workers alleged.

During the monsoon, they said, their responsibilities extended to inspecting fallen trees, coordinating clearance teams and monitoring public grievance complaints.

Workers said monthly take-home earnings of around Rs 12,000 were insufficient amid rising living costs.

Several animators were single mothers supporting their families and relied on part-time jobs after their regular shifts ended at 3 p.m. Mandatory evening meetings, however, frequently prevented them from attending these additional jobs, affecting a source of supplementary income, they said.

The workers urged the corporation to revise their pay in line with what they described as the prescribed minimum wage of Rs 762 a day. They also sought access to restrooms at ward offices and measures to ensure that salaries and statutory contributions were processed on time.

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