The strike by Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) employees, including safai karamcharis, gardeners, electricians, pump operators and fire brigade staff, entered Day 12 on Sunday.
More than 5,000 MCG employees are on indefinite strike in Gurugram, as part of a State-wide agitation of municipal employees, in support of their demands, including elimination of contract system and regularisation of ad hoc employees.
Cleanliness drive
The MCG has, meanwhile, kicked-off a special 80-hour round-the-clock cleanliness drive to rid the city of garbage piling up due to the strike of the safai karamcharis.
Under the aegis of Nagar Palika Karamchari Sangh, more than 30,000 municipal employees across the State had proceeded on a three-day strike on May 8, but a call for indefinite strike was given this past week after a meeting between the agitating employees and the government failed to reach a consensus.
“More than 1,800 MCG employees on contract were merged with municipal body by the Hooda government but they are still on ad hoc. Similarly, 97 more employees earlier working with gram panchayats in Gurugram are on ad hoc. This number could run into several thousand for the state,” said sangh press secretary Surender Baluher.
Mr. Baluher said the BJP government had assured to meet their demands several times in the past, but did not keep its words. “The Chief Minister [Manohar Lal Khattar] told us that the High Court has stayed the policy to regularise the ad hoc employees. If this is the case, at least they can implement equal-pay-for-equal-work policy. The ad hoc safai karamcharis are paid even half of what the regular employees get,” said Mr. Baluher.
The employees also submitted a memorandum to Haryana PWD Minister Rao Narbir Singh on Sunday in support of their demands. Their other major demands include cashless medical facilities for contractual employees, increasing allowances of both permanent and contractual employees, risk allowance and better safety equipment for those engaged in cleaning sewers.
