Mumbai society increases watchman’s pay to ₹16,000, reverses decision as neighbours protest

A Reddit user has revealed that his residential society reversed the decision to increase its watchman’s salary after neighbours protested against the hike. In a post on the “Mumbai” subreddit, the Reddit user revealed that his society had increased the watchman’s salary from ₹12,000 per month to ₹16,000 per month, but was forced to go back on this decision after neighbouring societies protested.

HT.com has not independently verified the authenticity of this information.

A salary increase

In his Reddit post, the Mumbai resident said his society increased the watchman’s salary from ₹12,000 per month to ₹16,000 per month.

“My society increased watchman’s salary and were then pressurised to take it back,” he said.

The Redditor explained that the decision to increase the watchman’s salary was taken at a recent society meeting. The watchman, happy with the hike, told other watchmen in the neighbourhood about it.

The other watchmen asked their societies for a salary increase, which in turn led residents to protest.

“The watchman then went and boasted about this salary hike to his other watchman friends from neighbouring buildings. Then they also started asking their society for salary increase,” the Reddit user wrote. “Then other society secretaries called our society secretary and asked him to take back salary hike as their watchmen were also demanding salary hike. Finally our members then decided to take back salary hike and his salary was rolled back to 12k,” the Reddit user added.

Outrage on social media

The post has sparked outrage and anger on social media - not only because of the salary hike reversal but also because people were shocked to learn how little the watchman earned in the first place.

It has also ignited a broader conversation about social inequality and the barriers that often prevent the underprivileged from progressing.

“The same members earning over a lakh a month would be crying about their employer giving them a small 5% hike. Middle class in India is just as greedy as the rich,” read one comment under the Reddit post.

“How can a person survive in a mere 12000 monthly salary in Mumbai?” another person questioned.

The post also reached X, where the decision to cancel the salary hike was widely panned.

“These things just break my heart. The ‘gated societies’ culture somehow brings the worst out of people in this country,” said one X user.

“The state of India. One building society increased watchman’s salary. Other nearby buildings forced them to roll it back,” another said.

“This is sad, that extra 4k divided by the number of flats would've been peanuts for residents but is absolutely life changing for the watchman,” a user pointed out.