Mumbai News: BMC Moves Ahead With Waste Management Tender Despite Union Strike Threats; Assures No Job Loss For Sanitation Workers

Mumbai: Despite strong opposition and strike threats from labour unions, the BMC confirmed it will proceed with the bidding process for a “service-based” waste management system on Thursday. The plan will outsource cleaning and transport in all 21 wards to private contractors. Alleging that unions are misleading workers, the civic officials will now directly engage with sanitation staff at the ward level to clarify facts.

The BMC’s Solid Waste Management Department (SWM) issued a tender on May 14, 2025, proposing a single agency to handle waste collection, transport, manpower, and vehicle maintenance citywide.

However, a joint committee of seven labour unions has demanded its cancellation, warning of a strike by all conservancy workers. "A final decision will be made after a polling exercise at around 400 locations on July 8," said Municipal Union General Secretary Ramakant Bane.

A senior civic official said there will be no reduction in worker posts, and assistant commissioners will step in if needed to counter misinformation allegedly spread by unions.

Additional Municipal Commissioner Dr. Ashwini Joshi added, “No official strike notice has been received from labour unions. While waste collection in 21 wards will be handled by private contractors, no existing staff will lose their jobs. Motor loaders impacted by the change will be reassigned to sanitation duties within the same wards, including second-shift cleaning. The tender process is ongoing and cannot be cancelled due to misleading demands.”

At a meeting held by a joint committee of labour unions at Annabhau Sathe Auditorium in Byculla on Tuesday, Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani stated Mumbai’s growing waste problem demands modern solutions.

"It’s not just about cleaning roads, but meeting the cleanliness standards of global cities,” he said, clarifying that the new tender does not imply removal of existing municipal workers.

Mumbai generates approximately 7,000 tonnes of waste daily. To manage this, around 1,334 vehicles are deployed some owned by the BMC, while the majority are provided by private contractors.

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Currently, the BMC operates on a hiring-based contract model where contractors supply vehicles on a rental basis, while all other waste management operations are handled directly by the civic body. Only four wards—L (Kurla), M East (Govandi), and M West (Chembur)—use municipal vehicles, as these areas are closer to the Kanjur Marg and Deonar dumping grounds.