Thousands of workers under the banner of the Samaj Samata Kamgar Sangh took to the streets on Friday, December 27, 2024, to demand equal pay for equal work. The march, led by the Sangh, began from the parking lot in front of Belapur Railway Station, passing through key locations including CBD Belapur, Diwale Gaon Chowk, Laxmi Hotel Chowk, Croma Showroom, and Kille Gaonthan, before concluding at the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) Headquarters.

The march was organized to highlight the long-standing issue of contractual workers in the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), who, according to the policy adopted in 2007, are entitled to the same salary as permanent Class IV employees. The main demand from the workers is for the implementation of equal pay for equal work, as directed by former Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

On September 25, 2024, former Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had issued directives to the NMMC to ensure that approximately 8,500 contractual workers received salaries equal to those of permanent employees. In response, the Commissioner of NMMC constituted a committee on September 30, 2024, to study and implement the policy. The committee was tasked with submitting a report within two days, but after 85 days, no action has been taken.

Despite submitting a 15-page statement to the committee on October 3, 2024, the Samaj Samata Kamgar Sangh has expressed frustration over the delay and the apparent indifference of committee members to the issue. The organization believes that the workers’ demand is justified and that the NMMC should implement the policy as directed by the former Chief Minister.

To press for their demands, the workers organized a protest march, which saw participation from employees across all departments. They are now planning to intensify their protest with a chain hunger strike starting Saturday, December 28, 2024.

Mangesh Lad, the Secretary of the Samaj Samata Kamgar Sangh, confirmed that the hunger strike will continue until their demands are met, and vowed to intensify efforts until justice is served for the contractual workers.