No masks and not getting paid in full, say sanitation workers

By Times of India – No masks and not getting paid in full, say sanitation workers Gurgaon: The army of MCG sanitation workers ensuring that neighbourhoods don’t turn into disease-ridden dumpyards during the lockdown, sometimes doing so even without a mask to protect them, have alleged that they are not getting the entire wages despite the government’s direction against such deductions. Sanitation workers in the city that TOI spoke with said that they are making as little as Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000 a month while they used to take home around Rs 10,000 earlier. One of the affected workers, Suman, told TOI, “Ever since the lockdown, I come to work Dhankot to Sector 4 by taking lifts from unknown people. But despite that, my salary got deducted.” Many workers alleged that contractors arbitrarily mark them absent for several days a month and use that as an excuse to deduct salaries. The last time Suman had received wages was on April 9, and she got only Rs 4,000 as opposed to Rs 11,500, although she has not missed a day of work. The MCG contractors create the salary accounts for these workers and Geeta, another sanitation worker in Sector 4 said that the contractor has held back her ATM card and passbook ever since she joined a year back. “Money was deposited in my account twice over the last two months. But it gets withdrawn as soon as it gets credited,” she said, stressing that her family really needs the money amid lockdown when other sources of income have dried up. She also alleged that several contractors have done these with their workers. But a bigger worry for the workers right now is the lack of protective gear and proper sanitisers for those working in the containment zones. “We are risking our lives every day by stepping out and cleaning but we’re not even getting proper masks for going into containment zones,” said Sanjay Sarwan, district secretary, Nagar Nigam Karamchari Sangh, a union for sanitation workers. He added that the contractors have not provided them with individual bottles of sanitiser, leaving the union to arrange for the same on their own. On Saturday, however, the corporation provided PPE kits to sanitation workers employed in the containment zone after reports started doing rounds that sanitation workers were being sent to containment zones unprotected. MCG officials dismissed these claims. “All the sanitation workers have been paid in full and on time. The union members are spreading these rumours for furthering their vested interests,” said an MCG official requesting anonymity. DownloadThe Times of India News App for Latest City NewsSubscribeStart Your Daily Mornings with Times of India Newspaper! Order Now

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