Sanitation workers stage protest outside minister’s office in Faridabad

Union president Balbir Singh grabbed a microphone and began shouting slogans like “Halla Bol”, with other sanitation workers waving their brooms in support

Sanitation workers staged a protest outside the office of local bodies minister Vipul Goel in Faridabad on Saturday, with their union president climbing onto the escort vehicle of the minister’s convoy.

Sanitation workers in Faridabad have been on strike for the past 31 days. (HT File)

Union president Balbir Singh grabbed a microphone and began shouting slogans like “Halla Bol”, with other sanitation workers waving their brooms in support. The police set up barricades to prevent them from entering the premises.

Sanitation workers in Faridabad have been on strike for the past 31 days.

On Saturday morning, hundreds of sanitation workers, led by Singh, began protesting outside the Sector-16 office of minister Vipul Goel. The union president climbed onto an escort’s vehicle and created a commotion. After a while, police personnel persuaded him to climb down. However, the sanitation workers continued to raise slogans for quite some time.

“The government is talking about invoking ESMA, but the agitation is not going to stop. The strike has been ongoing for 31 days, yet the minister has not met the protesters even once. Instead, minister Krishan Bedi is sent every time,” Singh said. On Friday, many sanitation workers in Haryana, who have been on strike for the past month demanding regularisation of jobs, shaved their heads, alleging that the government is adopting repressive policies.

The sanitation workers staged dharnas at various places including Ambala, Karnal, Jhajjar, Fatehabad and Charkhi Dadri, where some of them got their heads shaved as a mark of protest.

The Haryana government has warned the protesting sanitation workers to resume their duties by Saturday, or else legal and departmental action will be taken against them.