The Delhi High Court on Friday asked the Aam Aadmi Party government to release within three days the arrears of sanitation workers of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC), who are on indefinite strike since Wednesday.
A Bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar issued notices to the Centre, the Delhi government and the EDMC on a plea seeking directions to the authorities to ensure that the workers call off their strike and resume work.
Status report
The court, however, did not give any specific direction on the issue but sought a status report from the authorities concerned.
After being told that in spite of assurances given by the government the outstanding payment of the workers had not been made since 2003, the court said the authorities should release the arrears in three days from Friday.
The court was hearing a plea by Rahul Birla, who sought directions to the government and the EDMC to make immediate payment of arrears.
Other demands
Advocate Niraj Gupta, appearing for petitioner, urged the court to direct the EDMC to issue medical cashless cards to its sanitation workers. The plea also sought directions to the authorities to immediately implement the recommendations of the 4th Finance Commission.
The petition said that workers of all three civic bodies had gone on strike in January 2015, October 2015 and January 2016, which had worsened the sanitary conditions in the Capital. It said the strike had resulted in accumulation of garbage for a number of days at different places in the city.
Scores of EDMC sanitation workers, who are demanding payment of salaries due to them, clearance of arrears and medical cashless card, went on strike on Wednesday.
