Mumbai: Around 400 daily-wages and multipurpose workers of BMC-run KEM hospital will give roses to senior doctors and officers, as mark of protest as the BMC has failed to credit their salaries for two months. The ‘Gandhigiri’ style protest will be held on Tuesday, April 22 at 11 am outside the dean’s office.
The workers fall into Class IV category and get an average salary of Rs 21,000 per month. “It is not only the salary, but they have not received their Diwali bonus either. We protest against this step-motherly treatment to the workers who are going their daily job diligently, without complaining from despite not getting salaries for two months,” Pradeep Narkar from Municipal Mazdoor Union (MMU) said.
KEM hospital has around 111 multipurpose workers (who perform all odd jobs as per requirement) plus 42 workers for shift change and 250 daily wages workers, who are paid Rs 774.46 per day.
On Wednesday, April 16 MMU has written to the dean intimating about the protest and requested all senior officers to be present at noon of April 22 to accept the roses.
Narkar said, “We need to remind the senior officials that the workers are solely dependent of BMC’s salaries for their family’s monthly expenses. Many of them have started taking money on credit, but have not stopped going to their jobs.”
MMU said that everytime they asked the BMC administration over the pending salaries, they were told that the file is in process.
