Crisis averted as sanitation supervisors in East Delhi MCD end strike

Most of the areas of east Delhi are densely populated and even a day’s delay in disposal of garbage there can lead to a health crisis in the city.

More than 400 sanitation supervisors of East Delhi Municipal Corporation, who were on strike since Friday, joined work on Tuesday after their salary was credited and promotion demands accepted by the East Delhi mayor.

Garbage on Parwana Road in East Delhi after MCD employees went on strike.

The move comes as a major relief for East Delhi residents as the strike was leading to a sanitation crisis as garbage was piling up at several localities of East Delhi such as New Ashok Nagar, Vinod Nagar, Radhu Place and Lakshmi Nagar for past five days.

President of the All Municipal Corporation Sanitation Supervisor Union, Mukesh Kumar Vaidya, said that the workers decided to end a strike after mayor Neema Bhagat released the salary and accepted their demands of promotion.

He said that the workers resumed their duty from Tuesday itself. “We have been promised that posts that are lying vacant will be filled within 15 days by giving the due promotion to the supervisors.”

Bhagat, however, said that the workers relented due to the fear of Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) being invoked upon them.

Most of the areas of east Delhi are densely populated and even a day’s delay in disposal of garbage there can lead to a health crisis in the city.

Bhagat said, “The strike was illegal as we had already accepted their demands, but it takes time for implementation. Also, the supervisors were stopping the sanitation workers to perform their duty by refusing to grant them attendance.”

The sanitation worker supervisors’ union started their strike in front of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation’s headquarter on Friday demanding promotion and disbursement of salary, which they said was pending for the past two months.