Ahmedabad's cleaning workers 'not paid full salary' in April: Senior economist-activist

By Our Representative
Gujarat economist Hemantkumar Shah, who is also a senior activist, has accused the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) for refusing to pay full salary to sanitary workers for the month of April. Quoting Ketan Jadav, one of the workers who lives near Khamasa Char Rasta and cleans the road around Chandola Lake, Prof Shah said, his contractor paid him only Rs 5,000 for the month of April, when his monthly salary was fixed at Rs 7,000.
Pointing out that Jadav is not alone, Prof Shah said, Jadav is not alone, there are 30 other cleaners who have been working for almost two years, and each of them was paid Rs 1200 to Rs 5,000 by the contractor. “The contractor has been quoted as saying that their salaries had been cut because they did not work during the lockdown”, the economist said, adding, “Significantly, none of the workers was given the official pass to go to work during the lockdown.”
“Ketan Jadhav says he is not given any weekly leave”, Prof Shah said, “In addition, if they themselves take any leave, their daily salary, which comes to Rs 233 per day, is deducted. At present, it is estimated that there are about 4,000 cleaners working in AMC and it is estimated that 90% of them are working on contract basis.”

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