EDMC workers’ strike enters Day 4

Civic body invokes Essential Services Maintenance Act, under which employees can’t resort to stirs

The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) supervisors and sanitation workers’ strike over non-payment of salaries entered Day Four on Monday, even as several localities turned into garbage dumps.

Responding to the strike, the civic body has invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), alleging that the All Municipal Corporation Staff Union and the All Municipal Corporation Sanitation Supervisors’ Union were not ready to reach a consensus with the civic body.

“The Act was invoked on Monday after all efforts to negotiate with the union reached a dead end. We tried to talk to the union heads to sort out the financial concerns, but they were not ready to budge. Residents have to bear the brunt,” said a senior EDMC official.

Labour law

The official added that since Friday, which is when the strike was called, several meetings had been conducted with senior union members.

“The strike has been called by the supervisory staff, which does not come under the labour laws and cannot call for strikes,” the official said.

Under ESMA, employees cannot resort to strikes. Also, they cannot cite bandhs or curfews as an excuse not to report to work. “Any person who commences a strike...or otherwise takes part in...any such strike shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to ₹200, or with both,” the Act reads.

Meanwhile, localities including Krishna Nagar, Shashi Garden, Patparganj, Anand Vihar and Mayur Vihar Phase-III remained among the worst-hit.

In some areas, protesting workers themselves dumped garbage on roads.

“These strikes have become an everyday affair in east Delhi. The issue between the corporation and the sanitation staff must be resolved because the common people end up paying the price,” said B.S. Vohra, the president of the East Delhi Residents’ Welfare Association and a resident of Krishna Nagar.

Mukesh Vaidya, the president of the union, said the workers would not buckle under the EDMC’s threats. He said that the workers would continue the strike on Tuesday and disrupt traffic near the EDMC’s refuse removal depot in Jhilmil.

‘Pay our salaries’

“The EDMC officials can invoke any Act against us, but our members will not call off the strike unless our salaries are paid,” Mr. Vaidya said.

Officials claimed that in several areas, complaints were received that the supervisors were not allowing the junior staff, who wanted to report for duty, to resume work.