₹108 crore aid by govt fails to break sanitation strike

Striking staff say they will end the protest only after they get arrears since 2003, bonus and cashless medical cards

NEWDELHI: The sanitation crisis in east Delhi could escalate from Thursday with striking workers of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) refusing to relent even though the Delhi government agreed in principle to release ₹108 crore to the civic body for the payment of salaries.

The workers warned they would magnify the protest if they were not paid arrears pending since 2003, bonus and cashless medical insurance amid threats by the mayor to impose the Essential Services Maintenance Act to get them back to work.

EDMC commissioner Ranvir Singh on Wednesday met principal secretary finance and principal secretary, department of urban development, Delhi government, demanding funds.

“The in-principle approval for releasing the funds was given on Wednesday and by Thursday, the order will be issued too,” said SN Sahai, principle secretary (finance), Delhi government.

But the corporation says the money will be just enough to pay salaries to group D employees, bonus to sanitation workers and pending salaries for the month of August to other employees.

On the ground, as the employees stayed away from work — the third municipal strike this year — the streets were not swept and garbage was not collected from many neighbourhoods.

Over 300 workers gathered outside the EDMC headquarters, raising slogans against the Delhi government, mayor Neema Bhagat and commissioner Ranbir Singh. They claimed to be members of the MCD Swachhta Karamchari Union. The protesters locked the main gate, forcing officials to enter from the back gate. They burned an effigy of the EDMC commissioner.

“The strike is not going to end even if we get salaries and bonus. They have to pay all our arrears, issue cashless medical cards and regularise the workers. The officials can’t make a fool of us anymore,” said Sanjay Gehlot, president of the union.

The mayor said the demands were unjustified. “We already released the salaries of sanitation workers and will pay them bonus in a couple of days. The medical card policy is pending with North DMC, the nodal agency. It is impossible to pay pending arrears amounting to ₹2,000 crore considering we are facing financial constraints.”

“We might take a decision on enforcing ESMA on Thursday,” she said.

The commissioner said EDMC required at least ₹200 crore to pay salaries to all the staff.