CIDCO station transfer to Central Railway leaves 323 workers worried over jobs

Former MP Sanjeev Naik met with CIDCO MD Ashwin Mudgal on Monday. Pic/By Special Arrangement

The transfer of 14 railway stations from CIDCO to the Central Railway (CR) has triggered job security among 323 sanitation workers, many of whom have spent nearly 25 years cleaning and maintaining the very stations that are now changing hands.

CR formally took over the administration of 14 railway stations in Navi Mumbai effective August 14. The stations handed over include Vashi, Sanpada, Juinagar, Nerul, Seawoods-Darave-Karave, Belapur, Airoli, Rabale, Ghansoli, Kopar Khairane, Turbhe, Khandeshwar, Mansarovar, and Kharghar.

Former MP meets official

Seeking to ensure that the workers do not lose their jobs, former MP Sanjeev Naik met with CIDCO Managing Director Ashwin Mudgal on Monday. Naik was accompanied by Azad Kamgar Sanghatana president Mahadev Waghmare and representatives of the sanitation workforce.

Azad Kamgar Sanghatana president Mahadev Waghmare. Pics/By Special Arrangement

Naik, who had pursued the transfer of railway stations during his tenure as an MP, said the transition should not leave the workers in the lurch. "The transfer of the stations is a positive step, but the interests of the workers who have served these stations for years must also be protected. These workers have worked through the years to keep the stations clean and functional. Their livelihood cannot be ignored merely because the agency managing the stations is changing. I have requested CIDCO to take up the matter with CR and ensure that the workers are not left without employment," Naik said.

‘Workers have dedicated their lives'

Waghmare said the union wanted the workers to continue doing the same work under the CR. "Our demand is that around 323 sanitation workers who are part of our union should get jobs with the CR. Our workers have been working here for the past 25 years. They have dedicated their lives to these stations and should get employment. Contract workers should also be given an opportunity to continue their jobs," he said.

CIDCO Speak

Following the meeting, CIDCO MD Mudgal gave the workers assurance. "No injustice will be done to the sanitation workers," Mudgal assured the delegation, according to those present at the meeting.

Voices

Aswini Mhatre, sanitation worker at Khandeshwar station,
‘For us, getting a job is important. We have been working here for years, and our families depend on this income. We want to continue working at the station and only want security that the transfer will not take away our livelihood'

Rakesh Bargode, sanitation worker at Juinagar station,
‘We have spent years doing this work and know every corner of the station. We have never hesitated to work, whether it is early morning or late at night. If the station is going to the CR, our work should also continue with it'

Shantaram Pawar, sanitation worker at Belapur station,
‘We have been cleaning these stations for years. This is our livelihood, and we do not have another source of income. We are not asking for anything extra; we only want the opportunity to continue the work we have been doing for so many years'