Garbage pile up as sanitation workers continue strike

The indefinite strike entered the third day

Dry and wet garbage kept in front of an apartment at Alake in Mangaluru on Sunday. | Photo Credit: H.S. Manjunath

Pourakarmikas participating in a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office, in Mangaluru on Sunday. | Photo Credit: H.S. Manjunath

Wastage of vegetables mounted at Central market in Mangaluru on Sunday. | Photo Credit: H.S. Manjunath

Garbage continued to pile up across the city as the indefinite State-wide strike by sanitation workers, who are demanding regularisation of their services among other demands, entered the third day on Sunday.

Mayor Premananda Shetty said that though the city corporation pressed some of its vehicles for collecting the solid waste on Sunday and Saturday, they were encountered by the striking workers. Hence, the garbage wasn’t collected.

Mr. Shetty said that some of the bulk waste generators, mainly hotels and restaurants, have made their own arrangements to transport wet waste to the compost plant at Pachchanady. Wet waste generated at houses and apartments continued to pile up.

The Mayor said that he spoke to the chairman of Karnataka State Commission for Safai Karamcharis M. Shivanna who expressed hope that the workers might end their strike on Monday as another round of talks with the government is scheduled in Bengaluru on July 4.

A corporation official said that the corporation has about 200 permanent pourakarmikas and 591 sanitation workers outsourced. There are 110 vehicles involved in the door-to-door collection and transportation of waste.

The sanitation situation might aggravate if the workers did not end their strike by Monday, the official said.

The Joint Action Committee of Pourakarmika Unions has a one-point agenda that all categories of cleanliness workers, irrespective of the kind of work they do, to be treated as pourakarmikas and their employment be regularised across Karnataka. The Unions are demanding a retirement benefit of ₹10 lakh and pension of ₹5,000 for the workers, as well as a health card and employment for the dependents. Other main demands include housing, free education for their children, equal pay for equal work and dignified work environment.