Sanitation workers in Gurugram protest for better working conditions

After the 15-day strike by sanitation workers across Haryana, the government had agreed to terminate the use of private contractors, raise minimum monthly wages from ₹11,500 to ₹13,500, hike monthly sanitation allowance from ₹325 to ₹1,000 and introduce a pension scheme.

Sanitation workers took out yet another protest across the city on Thursday, asking for their demands for better working conditions, as promised on May 24 in the aftermath of the 15-day strike, to be met. They also demanded action against Chandigarh and Haryana police for the baton charge on protestors on September 10.

Around 100 sanitation workers gathered outside the MCG office near the Civil Hospital on Thursday to protest the poor working conditions. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

After the 15-day strike by sanitation workers across Haryana, the government had agreed to terminate the use of private contractors, raise minimum monthly wages from ₹11,500 to ₹13,500, hike monthly safai bhatta (sanitation allowance) from ₹325 to ₹1,000, increase broom allowance from ₹5 to ₹150 and introduce a pension scheme.

“We are yet to receive any of the benefits promised by the Haryana government four months ago and the lathi-charge on protesting government workers in Chandigarh was also not justified. Hence, we took out a protest today. The government needs to fulfil our demands at the earliest or else we will resort to an indefinite strike once again,” Naresh Kumar Malkat, secretary, Nagar Palika Karamchari Sangh, Haryana, said.

Around 100 sanitation workers and union leaders held an hour long protest on the streets of Jacobpura on Thursday. The protest kicked off at 11.30am.

When the workers went on a 15 day strike in May, garbage piled up across the city and even spilled on to the streets, causing inconvenience to residents.

At the Chandigarh-Panchkula border on Monday, police personnel from Chandigarh and Haryana resorted to a baton charge on protesters, fired tear gas shells and used water cannons to disperse workers as they tried to state a protest
outside the Haryana assembly building.

The incident led to 20 people suffering minor injuries.

Around 15,000 contracted government workers held a protest against the Haryana government for not regularising contractual employees on
the day.

“The MCG has already started providing sanitation workers with amenities such as jackets and boots, while a tender was also floated recently for providing them with gloves and masks. MCG is making every effort to ensure all sanitation workers are provided with the necessary equipment at the earliest,” SS Rohilla, public relations officer, MCG, said.

In April, MCG commissioner Yashpal Yadav had to call an impromptu meeting with sanitation workers, after a large group of workers gathered outside the MCG office in Sector 34 to protest against poor working conditions.

The workers alleged that they are working without any basic safety gear and in deteriorating conditions.

The MCG commissioner assured them that by May 22, all their grievances will be addressed.