Varanasi: On May 13, 29-year-old Sunny Kumar Rawat – a father of three children – was among around 100 contractual sanitation workers who, as a mark of protest, dumped garbage collected from different parts of the city on the road near the Malviya Chauraha in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi – the Lok Sabha constituency of prime minister Narendra Modi.The protesting sanitation workers, who were hired through multiple private agencies that secured tenders floated by the Varanasi Municipal Corporation (VMC), were demanding a salary hike. As tenders are awarded periodically, the contractor changes depending on the active contract zone.As the demonstrators dumped the garbage near the gate of the Banaras Hindu University, it blocked the road traffic for some time even as curious onlookers gathered to see the unique protest.‘Didn’t have any other option but to protest’Sunny, who has a graduate degree in sociology, works as a sanitation worker along with his wife Poonam in Varanasi’s Shivala ward.Sunny lives in Sarnath, and each day travels a collective distance of 26-30 kilometres on his motorcycle to their workplace and back, along with his wife.“I get only Rs 10,700 per month, which at times even decreases to Rs 9,000 or Rs 8,000 after deductions. Of this, around Rs 2,200-2,500 is spent on fuel every month. I didn’t have any other option but to protest,” Sunny told The Wire.Sunny said that it is very difficult to make do with their present salary, which is not adequate to meet all monthly expenses. “My children go to school by school bus because both me and my wife are working. I spend around Rs 3,000 on their education and transport. It is very difficult to survive on this salary,“ Sunny said. At present, their 10-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter study at a private convent school. The couple also has a 2-year-old son who is yet to start schooling.A room where eight members of the family of a sanitation worker reside. Photo: Mohammad Rameez AnasSunny said that sanitation workers were expecting a significant increase in their wages following a public announcement made by Uttar Pradesh chief minister Adityanath.“CM Yogi ji said from the stage when he came to Varanasi that the salary of sanitation workers would be increased to Rs 16,000-18,000. We come under the unskilled category, so we thought we would get a salary in that range. But we didn’t get that amount. There were workers in the protest who had not even received their salaries for two months,” said Sunny.Workers dissatisfied with present salaryIn October 2025, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Adityanath had announced that Rs 16,000 to Rs 20,000 would directly be credited to sanitation workers’ accounts, PTI had reported. As per the PTI report, Adityanath had made the announcement while attending the Swachhata Mitra Samman ceremony in Varanasi, honouring sanitation workers who contributed significantly during the Swachhata Hi Seva Pakhwada. Sunny and multiple other sanitation workers insist that this announcement was not for a one-time payment but a promise of increased salary.After the sanitation workers’ protest on May 13, the VMC, in an official statement issued on the same evening, announced that it had approved an increase in the honorarium of outsourced sanitation workers with effect from April 1, 2026.Under the revised arrangement, outsourced sanitation workers will receive Rs 13,006 per month, including a dearness allowance of Rs 765. The VMC also stated that nearly 4,000 sanitation workers would receive pending dues for the previous two months.In addition, the VMC said that workers are expected to benefit government welfare schemes such as Ayushman Bharat Yojana and National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem (NAMASTE) Yojana will be extended to the unskilled workers, aimed at improving their health and social security.Responding to claims that sanitation workers were supposed to receive salaries in the Rs 18,000–20,000 range, additional municipal commissioner Savita Yadav told Times of India that workers should not be misled. She said the government order related to the wage revision was received in May and that workers would receive the revised amount from the following month.However, many workers remain dissatisfied.“We should get at least Rs 18,000,” Sunny said. At present, he receives a salary of Rs 13,600.‘We know that ESIC gets deducted from our salary, but we can’t use it’Several sanitation workers said that while Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) contributions are deducted from their salaries, they have never received an ESIC card or any documentation enabling them to access medical benefits.“We know that ESIC gets deducted from our salary, but we can’t use it for medical care because we don’t have any proof. We have no card and no certificate. That is why I go to private hospitals whenever somebody in my family falls sick, and you know how expensive private medical facilities are,” said Vishal, another outsourced sanitation worker from the Dalit community.Vishal, a father of two children – a son aged 12 and an 8-year-old daughter – and the sole breadwinner in his family, said he wants his children to receive a good education and pursue a different profession, but financial constraints make that difficult.“We are unable to fight for our rights because we are uneducated and ignorant. It is the educated people who throw garbage, and we uneducated ones are the ones who pick it up,” said Vishal.Speaking to The Wire, senior and assistant supervisors from one of the wards said on condition of anonymity that the municipality deducts Provident Fund (PF) and ESIC contributions from workers’ salaries and that contractors are responsible for issuing ESIC cards. The supervisors admitted that several times they have asked contractors to issue the ESIC cards to the workers.The supervisors are tasked with the responsibility of managing the sanitation workers of their respective wards, including inspecting the work that has been done and recording the attendance of the workers.According to them, the ESIC scheme covers workers and their family members, including parents, spouses and children. While speaking to The Wire an assistant supervisor added that apart from ESIC, sanitation workers do not receive any additional medical protection.“Suppose they die on duty after entering a manhole or due to an electric shock. They will not get a penny either from the contractor or from the municipality,” he claimed.The outsourced sanitation workers also expressed frustration over the gap between their earnings and those of permanent employees. According to the workers, permanent sanitation employees earn between Rs 40,000 and Rs 60,000 per month, while employees working on an ad hoc basis receive between Rs 18,000 and Rs 21,000.“We too clean garbage, enter sewers, and clean the streets, yet we receive much lower salaries. Outsourced workers like us get only Rs 10,700 per month. Why?” asked one worker.“We are not demanding much. We just want an income that allows us to live comfortably,” said another worker.At present there is no difference between the nature of work done by outsourced sanitation workers and permanent workers.Concerns about the attendance systemWorkers also raised concerns about the attendance system, according to which they must mark attendance twice everyday – once in the morning and again in the afternoon. “Even if we get our photo clicked in the morning and work the whole day, it doesn’t matter. If, due to some emergency, we are unable to get our photo clicked in the afternoon, the entire day is marked absent and we lose our daily wages,” alleged Sunny.A broom used by sanitation workers in Varanasi for cleaning streets. Photo: Mohammad Rameez AnasHowever, supervisors disputed this account and said that attendance is recorded through an online system and workers are required to visit designated locations within their wards and submit photographs twice a day.“If a worker is present in the morning and absent in the afternoon, then the attendance will be considered as a half day,” said a supervisor.The supervisor further stated that attendance records remain subject to verification.“If a worker marks attendance but does not perform any work, the supervisor has the authority to remove that attendance entry,” he added.Several sanitation workers also alleged that they do not receive regular weekly holidays and are often required to work during VIP visits without additional compensation.“There is no holiday for us. We have to work throughout the month. We take leave only in emergencies, and even then, our salary gets deducted,” said Prem, a Dalit sanitation worker who drives a garbage collection vehicle.Prem is a B.com graduate with an Industrial Training Institute (ITI) certificate for an electrician course. He had also enrolled in the Computer Concepts (CCC) certification offered by the National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIELIT). He said financial hardship forced him into his present job as a sanitation worker after being unable to find employment elsewhere.‘Afraid to speak about exploitation’Sanitation workers also alleged that while four monthly leaves officially exist, availing them is difficult.“We don’t get any holiday and have to work for all thirty days. There are four designated leaves in a month, but we can’t avail them. If we avail them, our salary gets deducted, or else we have to bribe the supervisor to avoid being marked absent and lose Rs 1,000 for four leaves,” alleged Sunny.He added that many workers hesitate to speak openly about such issues out of fear.“Workers are afraid to speak about these exploitations because they know their voices will be suppressed,” he said.For now, the municipal corporation’s wage revision may have temporarily eased tensions, but many sanitation workers argue that the increase falls far short of what is needed to support a family amid rising living costs. Their demands go beyond higher wages, as they seek job security, access to benefits, transparency, and recognition for work that keeps the city functioning every day.Mohammad Rameez Anas is an independent journalist.