The Nagpur Municipal Corporation would be the first civic body in the State to have an independent women employees union.
Nagpur: The women employees of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), who often find themselves pushed to the wall over a slew of issues, have decided to strike back by way of floating an independent women’s union. Moves are afoot to form a women employees’ union in the civic body to raise their voice effectively and potently. In fact, the union would have been in place instantly had the topmost official in NMC Nayana Gunde spared her time from her busy schedule. The first meeting of the proposed union was slated recently but the reported non-availability of the Additional Municipal Commissioner Gunde apparently deferred the move. However, the meeting is going to be held by month end in the presence of the top lady official. The names of office-bearers and Executive Committee have been already decided for the proposed organization that would be known as NMC Women Employees Trade Union. The Municipal Commissioner has been apprised about the move through a letter sent by the organization in the context.
The Nagpur Municipal Corporation would be the first civic body in the State to have an independent women employees’ union aimed at uplifting the members on all the fronts. When the organization comes into effect, the women employees working in NMC would be made members of the union. The move is reportedly is the brainchild of NMC’s Social Welfare Officer Sudha Iraskar, Deputy Executive Engineer Kalpana Meshram and Sushma Dhore. At least one woman employee from NMC’s 10 zones will be accommodated as representative in the union.
At present, some registered organizations and a few unregistered ones as well are active in the civic body. Apart from aiwazdar (sanitation) workers’ union and teachers’ association, the women employees of NMC are not seen active in other organizations. This situation makes troublesome for a horde of women employees as their problems remain ‘sidelined’ and kept in pending for days together.
Recently, when the LBT was scrapped and the cash-strapped NMC failed to pay salaries on time, the irritated women employees had rushed to the chambers of Mayor and Municipal Commissioner. The issue was not only of delayed salaries but pertained to powers, male dominated problems, and other issues of concern. The women employees, most of the times, found themselves pushed to the wall over an issue or another. An effective union would deal with the situation rather easily as the NMC comprises around 3200 regular women employees/officials. Some are based at NMC Headquarters while some are at zone level.
The proposed women employees union had, in October 2015, sent a letter to Municipal Commissioner and apprised him about the move to form the union. The letter had also stated the burning problems being faced by women officials/employees in day-to-day affairs of the civic body. The Municipal Commissioner, on the other hand, while replying to the letter, advised the organization to get it registered with Labour Commissioner’s Office in the form of a Trade Union. After the due registration, the NMC will then handover a letter according the official status to the NMC Women Employees Trade Union.
