Sanitation workers go on strike, garbage dumped on Delhi roads

Residents of several areas in north and central Delhi such as Karol Bagh, Paharganj, Rohini and Civil Lines have complained that roads in their localities were not being cleaned and garbage has not been lifted.

Municipal sanitation workers in Delhi on Saturday dumped garbage on roads in north and central Delhi to press their demands for regularisation of staff employed since 2010, payment of arrears and announcement of bonus on Diwali even as the workers union threatened on Saturday that their agitation will grow in the next three-four days if their demands are not met.

Garbage dumped on a road in the Nabi Karim area of Paharganj. (HT Photo)

Residents of several areas in north and central Delhi such as Karol Bagh, Paharganj, Rohini and Civil Lines have complained that roads in their localities were not being cleaned and garbage has not been lifted.

The strike call was given on Friday under the banner of MCD All Unions Core Committee on Friday, and a protest was held in Civil Lines. JP Tank, who heads Delhi Nagar Nigam Shramik Sangh -- part of the core committee -- said, “There are more than 50,000 sanitation workers in the city, and thousands of them have been working with corporation from over 25 years on temporary basis. Their posts should be made permanent. We have held meetings with the (MCD) commissioner but we are not going to call off the strike on oral assurances. MCD should issue orders and start implementing them. We can no longer trust their assurances,” Tank said, and threatened that the city will have a “black Diwali” if demands of the workers are not met.

This is the first strike by sanitation workers under the unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). Earlier, when the city had three civic bodies, workers from the East Delhi Municipal Corporation and North Delhi Municipal Corporation had gone on multiple strikes to protest in payment of salaries. Residents of the city had to face garbage mounds on roads and unclean streets and drains during these protests.

Mukesh Baidya, who heads the All Municipal Corporation Sanitation Supervisors’ Union, said they have also extended support to the strike. “The demands are genuine. We are also supporting the strike. We have not been paid salaries for last four months, bonuses are pending. This is not festive season for us. MCD is paying us for lower level jobs while expecting us to carry out duties of sanitation supervisors. Permanent promotions should be made against vacant posts,” he added.

Market associations in north Delhi fear that the strike may hit their business during the festive season.

Nitin Gupta, president of Kamala Nagar Traders association, said garbage was littered around the market on Saturday. “We pay so much tax to the MCD, but still heaps of garbage can be seen all around the market. At a time when the markets were witnessing higher footfall of shoppers, we can’t afford to have such a situation. If even after paying so many types of taxes, we are forced to carry out business in middle of garbage, then what is MCD doing?”

Traders had a similar complaint in Sadar Bazar.

Devraj Baweja, president of Sadar Bazar Traders’ Confederation, said roads have not been swept and public toilet have not been cleaned. “It is Diwali season and footfalls are very high. Even the regular road sweeping has stopped and the situation can deteriorate. Our women customers are facing even more problems. MCD should resolve this situation,” he said.

While the situation was under control, barring some localities, since private firms lift and transport garbage from the majority of areas under MCD, officials and workers said that the impact of the strike may be felt from Monday across the city, if the strike is not called off.

Late Saturday evening, senior MCD officers said that several orders have been issued by the civic body to meet the demands of sanitation workers, and claimed that the strike has been called off.

“Municipal Corporation of Delhi is fully committed for welfare of its employees. MCD commissioner Gyanesh Bharti and Jai Prakash, ex-Mayor of the erstwhile North MCD, have held marathon meetings for two consecutive days with representatives of the unions. MCD has decided to regularise the Daily Wager Safai Karamcharis employed in 1998 and 2000. MCD has ordered all zonal deputy commissioners to prepare files for regularisation of Swachchta Sainiks engaged on compassionate grounds April 1, 2003 onwards. The strike has been called off,” MCD said in an official statement.

However, confusion prevailed among workers with several factions of the workers’ saying on Saturday that they did not know about the decisions. Tank said that they have no information about decision to call of strike even as MCD released a video showing Sant Lal Chawariya, the head of another sanitation workers’ group, in which he said the strike has been withdrawn.