UP sanitation workers’ union alleges promised ₹20,000 will mean ₹15,396 in hand

Union Opposes Order on Outsourced Sanitation Workers’ Wages

The Local Bodies Sanitation Employees’ Union (Uttar Pradesh) has strongly opposed a new government order on the wages of outsourced sanitation workers, calling it a “black law”. The union has alleged that the Uttar Pradesh government’s promise of paying ₹20,000 a month has turned out to be false, with workers set to receive only ₹15,396 in hand after deductions.

The issue concerns Government Order Number 3/2026/1/151176/2026, issued by the Uttar Pradesh government on 02-11-2026. The order has triggered anger among lakhs of sanitation workers across the state, according to the union.

The union has said the order exposes a gap between the government’s claims and its actual decision on outsourced workers’ wages. The union’s state spokesperson, Ajay Kumar Rajwar, said provincial president Maniklal Nagar had strongly objected to the order.

Union cites government’s ₹20,000 promise

According to Ajay Kumar Rajwar, Maniklal Nagar said the Chief Minister had stood in the House during the budget session of 2025 and announced that outsourced sanitation workers in the state would be paid ₹20,000 per month.

The union also referred to a joint press conference held by Finance Minister Suresh Khanna and Urban Development Minister A.K. Sharma on 19 September 2025. At that press conference, the two ministers had assured workers that the “dictatorship” of outsourced companies would end and that employees would receive their due rights, the union said.

Nagar questioned the difference between those assurances and the new order. He said the government had promised ₹20,000, but the amount shown in the order and the deductions listed in it would leave sanitation workers with much less money.

Claim of deductions from total remuneration

Nagar said the new government order places sanitation workers in Category-4 instead of the Ativishisht category, despite sanitation work being among the riskiest and most respected forms of work.

The order shows total remuneration of ₹17,646 on paper, he said. From this amount, ₹2,249 will be deducted in the name of EPF and ESI. After the deductions, the worker will receive only ₹15,396 in hand, according to the union.

“What kind of ₹20,000 is this? The government should tell us,” Nagar said.

He further explained the deductions listed against the amount of ₹17,646. These include ₹2,117 for EPF, ₹573 for ESI, ₹679 as a service charge, ₹176 as a UPCOS commission and ₹3,814 in the name of GST.

Nagar alleged that the order does not protect the interests of sanitation workers and instead benefits officials and corporations. He said the deductions mean that officials, the company and the corporation would enjoy the benefit of the sanitation worker’s hard-earned money, while the worker doing the actual labour would receive the least amount.

Union issues seven-day ultimatum

Nagar also said the Chief Minister had stated that workers would receive ₹20,000 and pending arrears before Diwali. He said Diwali was at hand, but there was no sign of the arrears. Instead, the wage had been reduced from ₹16,000 to ₹15,000, he alleged.

Maniklal Nagar has described the outsourced service corporation as the “Outsourced Exploitation Corporation”.

The union has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the government. It has demanded that the government withdraw the “black order” within seven days and issue a revised order placing sanitation workers in Category-1 and providing the full ₹20,000 in hand without any deductions.

The union warned that if the revised order is not issued, sanitation workers in all municipal corporations, municipalities and nagar panchayats across the state will completely halt sanitation services and begin an indefinite agitation.

The union said the entire responsibility for the consequences of such an agitation would lie with the government and administration. The statement was issued in connection with Lucknow, Aligarh and Chandausi.