Breeding check workers’ strike hits anti-larval ops in Delhi

Debanand Sharma, who heads the DBC Union (Anti Malaria Ekta Karamchari union), said that only verbal offers have been made by the administration and the union will not call off its strike in the absence of written commitment

New Delhi

The workers not only carry out checks but also take part in fumigation drives. (Representative photo)

The strike by Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD’s) domestic breeding checks, who are the corporation’s field works in anti-mosquito drives, entered its 26th day as mediation by the labour department and the mayoral committee failed to break the gridlock over their protest in pay disparity among workers in different zones.

This continued to impact checks on breeding sites in the city, according to MCD data. Although other field workers of MCD were roped in for field visits, with around 73,250 house visits being carried out in the week ending October 18, it was far less than over 943,000 visits made in the week ending September 27, before the strike started.

Debanand Sharma, who heads the DBC Union (Anti Malaria Ekta Karamchari union), said that only verbal offers have been made by the administration and the union will not call off its strike in the absence of written commitment. “Even in the labour court, the administration has been unable to answer about the disparity of salary among the workers. Why are DBC workers of six zones paid differently? The municipal health officer also left the meeting with assistant labour commissioner midway (through the meeting),” he said.

The MCD did not comment on the matter.

Around 3,500 DBC workers have been working with the MCD since 1996. Their work involves preventing vector-borne diseases, such as malaria and dengue. They are not only entrusted with the task of checking and destroying the breeding sites such as water coolers, fountains, water tanks inside houses, but also work in fumigation drives supervised by the anti-malaria staff.

As per the proceeding report of the labour department on October 22, a meeting with senior municipal officials and unions was called. The report signed by assistant labour commissioner has fixed the date of next hearing on November 3 while asking the additional commissioner health to be present from the MCD. The report notes that senior civic officials from management left the proceedings midway.

Delhi has recorded 553 malaria, 994 dengue and 106 chikungunya cases this year, until October 18.