Ludhiana MC employees stage protest, also seek scrapping of outsourcing proposal

The employees’ unions of municipal corporation (MC) staged a protest outside the MC headquarters (Zone-A) office, submitted a memorandum with mayor Balkar Sandhu

Different employees’ unions of municipal corporation (MC), under the banner of Sewermen Safai Karamchari Sangharsh Committee, on Tuesday staged a protest outside the MC headquarters (Zone-A) office over delay in regularisation of contractual employees, proposal to recruit sweepers on outsourcing basis among other issues.

MC employees’ unions protesting against MC over its decision to recruit sweepers through outsourcing in Ludhiana. (Harvinder Singh/HT)

The employees submitted a memorandum with mayor Balkar Sandhu.

The protesting employees said the previous Congress government had issued a notification for regularising the contractual employees and appointment letters were also issued to a few of them, but the employees have still not been regularised.

The other demands of the employees included implementation of the old pension scheme, cancelling the proposal to hire sewermen and sweepers on outsourcing basis etc.

Union leader Yashpal Chaudhary, Vijay Danav among others also warned to intensify the agitation if the MC failed to fulfil the demands in the next 15 days.

Chaudhary said in the recent meeting of the finance and contracts committee (F&CC) of MC, a proposal was approved to hire sweepers and sewermen on outsourcing basis, which is not acceptable and the MC should hire staff on permanent basis.

Meanwhile, mayor Sandhu said no such proposal to hire staff on outsourcing basis has been approved by the MC, and there must be some miscommunication. Further, he said the decision to regularise the contractual staff has to be taken by the state government. They will look into the demands of the employees which can be fulfilled at local level, he added.