PCMC: Waste Pickers celebrate historic day, demand dignified livelihoods and recognition
Pimpri Chinchwad, 24th March 2022: Waste pickers of the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation celebrated the Kashtakari Mahila Sangharsh Din to commemorate the struggles of, and stand in solidarity with, the women workers. The program acknowledged the first protest organized by women mill workers in India at the Jacob Mills (now Indu Mills) on 25th March 1895 where the demands of equal pay, paid weekly holidays and an eight-hour working day were raised. While celebrating what has been achieved so far, waste pickers also highlighted the contemporary issues faced by the women and invited the government’s participation in addressing them. The occasion was graced by the presence of Shri Sandip Khot, Dty. Commissioner, PCMC, Shri Manav Kamble, President, Swaraj Abhiyan Maharashtra and social activists Sopan Khude and Sopan Chavan.
Mangal Javir, a waste collector spoke about the significant changes in the lives of waste pickers after they collectivized into the trade union. “We have come a long way to a point in time where the state recognizes us as workers. It’s a big step for us but we also need to realize how dynamic the waste sector is and how we cannot afford to ignore the labour rights in the larger scheme of things. Many of us who are not employed on wages are also the ones who do not have access to the dry waste” she said. Sunanda Waghmare drew everyone’s attention towards the issues faced by elderly waste pickers who are not integrated in the system yet. “The city has managed to removed all the large bins from the streets and while the idea is to ensure no trash is found on the streets, what about those whose livelihood depended on it? The government should find a way to integrate all these women as well. The women on contract wages are subject to several forms of injustice including discrepancy in attendance directly translating to wage theft” she said. Viju Chavan spoke about the court case and the historic win led by KKPKP regarding the minimum wages. “We are happy that the court ruled in our favor and we received the arrears from January 2020 but we request the PCMC to ensure the arrears are paid for the period 2018-20” she demanded.
Shri Khot promised the waste pickers that the government has tried to assess the situations and take strict action against the contractors wherever necessary. “I understand the nuances in the issues of waste pickers at the landfill, on the municipal trucks, those who are itinerant waste pickers and will look into resolving each of these. I will specifically work towards ensuring that the itinerant waste pickers are integrated in the door-to-door collection system and have access to dry waste” he affirmed amidst a thunderous applause by the waste pickers. Shri Kamble , Sopan Chavan and Sopan Khude lent their support to the waste pickers and urged that they should continue to fight for their rights.
Poornima Chikarmane, co-founder of the KKPKP contextualized the role of waste pickers in the larger women’s struggles. “KKPKP organised the first Kashtakari Mahila Sangharsh Din at the Indu Mills in Mumbai on 25 march 1995 to commemorate the century of the first agitation by women mill workers. The lives of waste pickers should not be seen in the limited context of work but we also need to focus on how the larger inequalities in their social sphere are addressed.” she said. A delegation of waste pickers will now visit the office of Shri. Khot for a detailed discussion on resolving the issues of waste pickers.
