Nearly a month has passed since the Clean Andhra Pradesh (CLAP) vehicle drivers launched a strike in the composite districts of Krishna and West Godavari, and yet there has been so resolution to their demands.
The drivers, around 500 in the two districts including Mangalagiri, have been striking since May 16, demanding they be paid their honorariums on time. While the contractor for the region had reportedly assured that they would receive their April and May pay on June 10 (Monday), they were yet to receive the same as of 8.30 p.m. The drivers had said that they would resume duties if they were given April pay.
Region-wide solidarity
Centre of Trade Unions (CITU) member Jyoti Basu said drivers from Kakinada, Machilipatnam and Gudivada will also join the strike from June 11 (Tuesday), when a protest has been planned in front of the Labour office in Vijayawada. “The drivers were promised in December 2023 that their honorarium would be increased from ₹13,000 to ₹15,000, this too is yet to be realised,” Mr. Basu said.
Since all 250 CLAP vehicles have been non-functional since the strike, the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has gone back to using push carts to lift garbage from the roads, said Commissioner Swapnil Dinkar Pundkar, adding that the issue is being discussed by the Swachh Andhra Corporation.
Earlier, Chief Medical Officer of Health P. Ratnavali had said that compact vehicles, tippers and tractors were being used in the absence of CLAP vehicles and around 100 tonnes of garbage was not being picked up daily.
