In Bengaluru, many waste collectors not paid for four months

Many of Bengaluru’s waste collectors are again struggling as they have not been paid salaries for several months. While their salaries have remained irregular and the contractors usually pay them once every two months, this time, in many areas, they haven’t gotten their salaries for nearly four months, making it difficult to make ends meet. 

This comes even as Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda recently pointed out absenteeism among pourakarmikas who sweep the streets, drawing the ire of both pourakarmikas and waste collectors, who have demanded an apology.

“It is easy to pull up solid waste workers, who are one of the most vulnerable. But has the civic body fulfilled its responsibility towards them in the first place?” asked Appanna, of BBMP Pourakarmikara Sangha. 

Irregular payments 

Chinnappa, a waste collector in East Bengaluru, said that they are forced to make a life out of what residents give them informally, ragpicking, selling plastic and other dry waste. “Imagine having to run the house with only this kind of uncertainty. I have been working as a driver for six years now. This has always been the case,” he said. He hasn’t gotten his salary for over three months. 

A few others are lucky. Ramesh, another garbage vehicle driver, said that his contractors paid salaries for two months 15 days ago. He expressed hope for regular pay every month, adding, “My wife works as a construction labourer and we live on her earnings.”

Contractors blame civic body 

Garbage management contractor Balasubramanyam alleged that red tape and several other factors had led to irregular and delayed payments. “The last time our bills were cleared was in March 2026. But contractors are trying to give salaries to our workers, many times through debt,” he said. 

Karee Gowda, CEO, Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd (BSWML), was not available for comment. 

Workers targeted 

Mr. Appanna said workers who were demanding salaries on time were being targeted by contractors. “Such workers are usually fired from their jobs. They are replaced by migrants, who are even more vulnerable. Most of them live in tin sheds and any assertion by them is countered with threats of being branded illegal immigrants or evicted from the lands they stay on. The civic body mandates these workers must get ₹21,000 a month. The local workers get around ₹13,000, but the migrants are paid less than ₹10,000 and exploited even further,” he said.