BMC Sanitation Workers Protest Against Waste Management Privatisation, Threaten Citywide Strike

Mumbai, July 17: Sanitation workers of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) are set to stage a major protest at Azad Maidan on Thursday, expressing strong opposition to the civic body’s proposed plan to privatise the city’s waste management operations. The demonstration, organised by the Municipal Workers Action Committee, will begin at 10 a.m. and may lead to a citywide strike if their demands are not addressed.

The protest comes in response to the BMC’s decision to appoint a single private agency to handle waste collection, transport, manpower deployment, and vehicle maintenance across all 21 municipal wards. Labour unions have condemned the move as a step towards full privatisation of the waste management system.

According to the Municipal Workers Action Committee, a strike ballot conducted among sanitation workers in nine civic wards revealed that over 97% voted in favour of an indefinite strike. Similar support is expected from workers in the remaining 15 wards. Union leaders insist the proposed changes threaten the livelihoods and job security of thousands of workers, despite official assurances.

“The BMC is pushing ahead with privatisation without taking workers into confidence,” said a union representative. “We are not against improving services, but this model risks sidelining long-serving municipal staff.”

Currently, Mumbai generates around 7,000 metric tonnes of waste daily. The civic body operates approximately 1,334 vehicles, of which a majority are supplied by private contractors on a rental basis. However, core sanitation services — such as manpower and waste handling — have so far been managed by BMC employees.

Only four wards — L (Kurla), M East (Govandi), and M West (Chembur) — rely exclusively on municipal vehicles, given their proximity to the Kanjur Marg and Deonar dumping grounds.

A senior civic official, responding to the protests, clarified that no current employees would be laid off under the new system. “Motor loaders may be reassigned to sanitation duties, including second-shift cleaning, but no one will lose their job,” the official said. “The tendering process is already underway and cannot be halted due to pressure from misleading claims.”

Protesting workers are also seeking an urgent meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The outcome of this meeting will determine whether the unions proceed with the indefinite strike, which could severely disrupt waste management operations across Mumbai.

The civic administration, meanwhile, has appealed for calm and reiterated that service efficiency and staff welfare remain priorities in the restructuring process.