Tamil Nadu Raises Sanitation Worker Pay From $18 to $88

Sanitation workers who've been cleaning maternal health centers in Tamil Nadu for up to 20 years just saw their monthly pay jump from ₹1,500 ($18) to ₹7,376 ($88). The 392% increase comes after years of advocacy from workers who maintained labor rooms and assisted nurses during childbirth at Primary Health Centres across India's seventh most populous state.

The story began in 2002 when these workers were hired under the Reproductive and Child Health scheme for just ₹500 ($6) per month. After four years of service, pay increased to ₹1,000. Workers with more than seven years got ₹1,500, where wages stalled for the next decade.

Health Minister Ma. Subramanian announced the raise on Monday, calling it a "pleasant surprise" for the 1,575 workers still in these positions. The national government contributed ₹1,500 while Tamil Nadu added ₹5,876 from state funds to reach the new total.

The pandemic proved these workers were essential, not expendable. Nearly 940 sanitation workers who served during COVID-19 have already been promoted to permanent Multi-Purpose Hospital Worker positions earning approximately ₹27,000 ($325) monthly.

The Ripple Effect

This wage increase does more than put food on tables. It signals that the invisible work of keeping healthcare facilities clean and safe matters just as much as the procedures performed inside them.

The government promised that as new permanent positions open across Tamil Nadu's 38 districts, priority will go to those who worked through the pandemic and veterans with over 20 years of service. A.R. Shanthi, representing the Tamil Nadu Government Primary Health Centre RCH Sanitation Workers Welfare Association, thanked the government after years of continuous advocacy.

For workers who've spent decades ensuring safe, clean spaces for mothers giving birth, recognition finally arrived in the form of a paycheck that reflects their value.