Municipal employees to go on indefinite strike from January 7 to demand pending wages

According to office bearers of Confederation of MCD Employees Union — an umbrella body of employees’ unions — thousands of employees from the various department in the three civic body will observe “indefinite pen-down strike” from 10 am January 7.

Employees of the three municipalities of Delhi have decided to go on an indefinite strike from January 7 against non-payment of their salaries and pensions. The decision was taken after a meeting with senior civic officials failed on Tuesday break the deadlock on pending payments.

The employees union said the strike will include teachers, engineers, the staff of horticulture department, clerical staff, Domestic Breeding Checkers (DBC) workers, and class-4 employees such as beldars and labourers. (File photo)

According to office bearers of Confederation of MCD Employees Union — an umbrella body of employees’ unions — thousands of employees from the various department in the three civic body will observe “indefinite pen-down strike” from 10 am January 7.

The employees union said the strike will include teachers, engineers, the staff of horticulture department, clerical staff, Domestic Breeding Checkers (DBC) workers, and class-4 employees such as beldars and labourers.

Representatives of the confederation said that employees in various departments of the north civic body have not been paid salaries for the last 4-5 months, while in East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) salaries are pending for the last three months.

AP Khan, convener of the Confederation of MCD Employees Union, said that it was time that authorities realised that their employees are working without money for 4-5 months and are unable to look after their families. The pendency of pensions in the north corporation is beyond six months, he sid.

“After many reminders about the payment of dues, we were called for a meeting with the additional commissioner in the north civic body. The meeting was not fruitful. So we decided to go ahead with our plan to go on an indefinite strike from January 7. We want our pending salaries and pensions to be cleared as soon as possible,” he said.

Khan added that civic workers had withdrawn their strike twice in the past after they were given assurances for payment of pending salaries, dues and pensions by November-end. But nothing was done in this regard.

Ramniwas Solanki, general secretary of the Confederation of MCD Employees Union said that salaries of teachers and engineers are pending for the months August, September, October, November and December. He said that employees of all other departments were suffering similarly.

“It has been five months since teachers were paid in the north corporation. The east corporation teachers have not been paid for the last three months. We can’t keep working without salaries and are compelled to go on a strike,” he said.

Jai Prakash, mayor North Delhi Municipal Corporation, said that salaries are being released as and when funds are available with the civic body. “We are going through a financial crisis and still salaries of sanitation workers have been cleared till the month of September, DBC employees till October, doctors and nurses till September. Efforts are being made to clear maximum dues in a phased manner,” he said.

Nirmal Jain, mayor EDMC, said, “Efforts are being made to clear pending salaries. I understand their pain but they should also cooperate with us.”