Mumbai, July 18 -- On the eve of a whirlwind change to Mumbai's waste collection and transportation system, threatening to wipe away jobs of thousands of motor loaders-those who tip your garbage into compactors-in the city, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC's) sanitation workers staged an uproar at Azad Maidan on Thursday. Over 1,000 workers descended upon the historic ground from 2pm after their morning shifts, anxious over potentially losing their jobs to privatisation. Two months after the BMC first floated a proposal to rope in private contractors to carry out waste collection and transportation, Friday is the last day for bids to pour in from companies vying to take over the entire process-from supplying garbage compactors, labourers, drivers, crafting the waste collection route, and all the duties in between. Despite the BMC's promise to its permanent motor loaders-there are approximately 6,000, of which 4,500 are active-that they would continue to be on the payroll and only their roles would be tweaked, there was little trust in the civic body's assurance. Meanwhile, the fate of the approximately 1,500 motor loaders employed on contract is still undecided. After deliberating whether to embark on a strike from Friday and let Mumbai's garbage overflow on the streets, the protesting workers finally decided to defer the decision to July 23 after chief minister Devendra Fadnavis assured them that no sanitation worker's post would be removed. Kapil Patil, a former legislator and one of the leaders of the Municipal Kamgaar Action Committee, a civic workers' union, said Fadnavis assured them that contract workers would be made permanent, the total sanctioned strength of sanitation workers would not be diluted from the current 31,000, and their preferential treatment or PT benefits (essentially ensuring their kin get jobs) would continue. "So, we have decided to put our strike on hold till a meeting with the municipal commissioner," he said. Earlier in the day, the protesting sanitation workers explained why they're worried. Sanjay Jadhav joined the ranks of the BMC's sanitation workers in 1997, leaving behind his livelihood as a farmer in Ratnagiri to take over his father's position after he died in 1994. Working as a sweeper till 2004, he was then promoted to a motor loader-the job that BMC is seeking to outsource to contractors. "Five months ago, I was promoted to mukadam here, which entails logging in each of the compactors and the garbage they collect." With a steady permanent job, Jadhav has been able to book a flat for himself and his family in Govandi after a life of living on rent in Chembur, as well as educate his son, currently in class 12. "All those decades ago, when no worker was ready to keep a job as a sanitation worker in the civic body, my grandfather and father held on steadily to their job. I do not want to risk it slipping out of my hands, even if my son may or may not want to take it forward," he said. This is what the other 6,000 permanent motor loaders fear losing: a stable job, the potential for progressive increments and promotions, and the assurance of a job in the civic body for their kin. For Nilesh Sonawane, 42, this was what made him switch from his job at various offices after his father died due to paralysis in 2009. "I've done my education till Class 12, which qualifies me for a higher role of a clerk. But despite my attempts to shift roles in the BMC, I'm still stuck in the sanitation department," he said, adding that he makes Rs.35,000 a month. "The BMC is assuring us that our permanent jobs will stay intact for now, that only our roles will shift to evening shift sweepers, but we fear this is the start of rubbing us out of the system and taking our PT benefits away, bit by bit," said Naresh Jadhav, 41, another motor loader from Malad. For the 1,500 motor loaders the BMC employs on contract, on lesser pay and fewer benefits, there is no fixed assurance that their jobs will continue, in the same role or otherwise. "I have been working as a motor loader in the BMC in Malad for 15 years now, paid by the BMC through an NGO on a new contract every six months," said Ellappa Patra, 36. "We really don't know what's going to happen next, but we are afraid our menial jobs will go." For its part, the BMC is working to figure out what arrangements can be made for the contractual workers and is considering different roles for the permanent motor loaders, who they assure won't lose their jobs or PT benefits. But the constant protests have not wavered their drive to have the tender roll out, in which 48 companies have shown interest. "We are confident we will convince the workers," said additional municipal commissioner Ashwini Joshi. Kiran Dighavkar, deputy municipal commissioner, added, "The last date for the bids is Friday, following which we will start technical scrutiny. It will then take another month for the contractors to be finalised."...