E Delhi sanitation workers to go on strike from today
The Capital’s eastern parts are staring at a civic crisis as hundreds of municipal sanitation workers announced on Tuesday to strike work, a move that could overrun roads and neighbourhoods with mounds of rotting garbage this Diwali.
The Swachhta Karamchari Union, which calls itself the biggest worker union of East Delhi Municipal Corporation with 11,000 members, called an indefinite strike from Wednesday over non-payment of salaries, bonuses, and arrears due from 2003.
“The repeated financial crisis shows the inefficiency of civic agency in running the system. This time there will be an infinite strike unless all financial issues are sorted out,” said Sanjay Gehlot, president of the association.
The rival Swatantra Majdoor Sayunkt Morcha, a union with members in the city’s three civic corporations, also announced a strike from October 16.
The protest raised fears of a repeat of the crisis this January when a strike by 16,000 municipal employees brought the national capital on the brink of a civic lockdown and sparked fears of disease.
Roads and residential areas were strewn with waste and a putrid smell shrouded east Delhi that produces 2,800 tonnes of garbage daily.
“No matter where and how the funds are arranged, we want our pending salaries, bonus, arrears and cashless medical insurance for employees. The EDMC needs at least ₹2,000 crores to fulfil these demands,” Gehlot said.
The corporation has not paid its sanitation workers since September.
Mayor Neema Bhagat called their demands legitimate.
THE WORKERS HAVE CALLED THE STRIKE TO PROTEST NONPAYMENT OF SALARIES, BONUSES AND ARREARS DUE FROM 2003
“I have no alternative mode of transport because there is no direct bus service from Ghaziabad to Delhi. So, I have to stick with the Metro even if they increase the fare,” said Rupal Sachan, a bank employee who commutes from Vaishali to Rajiv Chowk regularly.
Several commuters came out in support of the fare hike, stating that such a move was “necessary” to maintain the quality of the transport service. A few angry ones, however, said they were even considering driving to work in the circumstances.
The Delhi government, meanwhile, took its fight against the fare hike a step further by devoting an entire day to discuss the issue in the assembly. It later passed a resolution seeking the formation of a committee to probe how the tariff hike is intended to improve the DMRC’s financial health.
After the assembly session, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal held a review meeting of the Phase-IV Metro project. It was attended by DMRC chief Mangu Singh as well as officials of the Delhi government’s finance and transport departments.