Sanitation workers, garbage collectors on strike in Chandigarh

Union chief says they will break the wheels of garbage collection carts if need be

Upping the ante against the municipal corporation, door-to-door garbage collectors have decided to stop lifting of solid waste from households in Chandigarh from Saturday.

Sanitation workers protesting outside the MC building in Sector 17, Chandigarh, on Friday. Private garbage collectors from some areas also joined them. (Keshav Singh/HT)

The strike is set to impact the whole city, in a repeat of what happened around two years back.

This comes at a time when the Safai Karamchari Union went on an indefinite strike from Friday, stopping the collection of garbage and cleanliness work at markets, roads and streets.

Confirming the decision, Om Prakash Saini, president, Chandigarh Door-to-Door Garbage Collectors’ Society, said: “We will totally stop the collection of garbage from houses. The strike will go on till the MC relents and comes to the negotiating table.”

The garbage collectors are against the MC taking over garbage collection in the city. The union is demanding signing of a memorandum of understanding with the civic body, as it claims was promised to it earlier. The union is also demanding permission to collect user charges from residents directly and sell reusable solid waste.

“Even though the MC General House has passed a resolution to this effect, the corporation has not committed to it in writing. Instead, the MC is insistent on collecting user charges through water bills or property tax bills, and also will pay out only a part of the earnings from sale of reusable waste articles. This will impact our income,” said Saini.

On Friday too, some garbage collectors didn’t pick household solid waste from a few sectors, including 22, 27, 32, 36, 43 and 49, and other areas, like Maloya. “Collectors in these areas left the work to participate in the sanitation workers’ dharna against the MC in Sector 17,” said Saini.

From Saturday, Saini warned, the union members will not allow anyone to collect garbage. “We will break the wheels of carts if it is required to stop the lifting of garbage,” he said.

Resident bodies slam MC

Criticising the MC for its handling of the impending crisis, Hitesh Puri, chairman, Chandigarh Resident Association Welfare Federation, said: “If the issue is not resolved immediately, we will pass a resolution against the MC and boycott it on every platform. The MC has failed on most civic and development issues.”

Vinod Vashisht, convener, City Forum of Residents Welfare Organisations, Chandigarh, “During the strike two years ago, most people dumped their garbage at Sehaj Safai Kendras. While households faced limited issues, these centres were overflowing with garbage.”

Sanitation workers stage dharna

On Friday, the Safai Karamchari Union began its indefinite strike and staged a protest in front of the MC office in Sector 17. Mayor Raj Bala Malik’s effigy was also burnt.

Union president Krishan Kumar Chadha said: “From Saturday, there will be complete shutdown of sanitation and garbage collection services. The MC can no longer take us for granted. The strike will go on till the MC accepts all of our demands.”

Sanitation workers are against wearing GPS-enabled smart watches, and want regularisation of their services. They also support the garbage collectors’ demands.

MC commissioner KK Yadav said: “We are trying to convince them not to go on strike. I have deputed the sanitation committee to negotiate with them. In case they do stop garbage collection, we will ensure the services are normalised without delay.”

Rajesh Kalia, former mayor and chairman of the sanitation committee, couldn’t be reached for comment.