Greater Noida agrees to meet demands of sanitation workers, protests end

On November 18, the sanitation workers had put the strike on hold after the Greater Noida formed a committee to resolve their issues by December 15

Sanitation workers in Greater Noida have called off their strike after the Greater Noida authority on Friday agreed to their demands for salary hikes and pending bonus, among other issues, people aware of the matter said on Saturday.

The Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) has agreed to meet various demands that were being raised by the sanitation workers, leading to an end of the protests and strikes. A meeting of the workers was organised with the senior authority officials on Friday. (HT Photo)

The authority held a meeting on Friday and discussed the longstanding demands of workers and considered several of them for redressal.

“A few members from the team met Greater Noida authority officials on Friday, where most of our demands were discussed at length, and the officials gave us a written assurance that they will be fulfilled at the earliest,” said Ranbeer Janghara, district president of the Sanyukt Morcha Safai Karamchari, a sanitation workers’ union.

There are 1,400 sanitation workers working on a contract-basis under the Greater Noida authority.Of these, 800 had gone on an indefinite strike starting November 6, bringing garbage collection and sanitation services to a halt in parts of Greater Noida such as sectors Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Gamma.

On November 18, the sanitation workers had put the strike on hold after the Greater Noida formed a committee to resolve their issues by December 15.

“The demands being considered for redressal by the authority include pay parity with the Noida authority workers, release of withheld salaries and bonuses of several workers, reconsideration of the claim which was previously granted only in case of accidental death, revision in timings of reporting on duty from 6am to 8am, and hiring of an additional 500 sanitation workers,” said Janghara.

“Most of the issues raised by the workers were discussed and are being considered for redressal. The strike has come to an end, and it will be ensured that cleaning exercises will take place properly across the city,” said Amandeep Duli, additional chief executive officer of the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA).