Unions Demand 20% Diwali Bonus for Municipal Employees

As there is a possibility that the code of conduct for assembly elections will be imposed after Ganapati or Dussehra, the trade unions have demanded that the bonus should be announced before then. The Municipal Mazdoor Sangh and the Municipal Union have demanded that a 20 percent bonus of the total annual earnings should be given to the employees of the municipality.

Although Diwali is still a month and a half away, discussions about Diwali bonuses have already begun among the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) labor unions. Each year, as the festival approaches, unions push for bonuses, prompting the municipal administration to meet with the coordination committee. If unresolved, the matter is typically taken to the Chief Minister, who, along with the ruling party, announces the bonus. This pattern repeats almost annually. However, this year, with the possibility of the assembly election code of conduct being enforced after Dussehra, political parties may be restricted from intervening in bonus matters. As a result, trade unions have urged that the bonus be announced before the code of conduct takes effect.

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Over one lakh employees work in the BMC, and the Municipal Mazdoor Sangh and Municipal Union have called for a 20% Diwali bonus to be announced before the election code of conduct is implemented. Last year, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde approved a total bonus of INR 26,000 for BMC employees, outstanding workers, and teachers, along with a Diwali gift of INIR 11,000 for health workers. This resulted in a INR 300 crore burden on the BMC budget.

This year, unions are once again demanding a 20% bonus for municipal employees. With the BMC's budget standing at approximately INR 60,000 crores, labor leaders Prakash Jadhav and Ramakant Bane have urged Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani to announce the bonus before the election code of conduct comes into effect.