HC to ensure sanitation workers receive salaries

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday said that it will ensure that all the sanitation workers receive salaries and asked the civic bodies to provide it a list of those yet to get their pay.

A division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath said it would hear the matter on Monday and till then salaries must be paid to sanitation workers. It also said that in future also, the civic bodies and Delhi government have to ensure that sanitation workers' salaries should not be held back.

"We want to ensure salaries are paid to everyone. We are happy that most of them get back to the work," it added.

During the hearing, some of unions of sanitation workers told the court that even till date, some of the employees have not received their salaries. Petitioners also told the court that despite getting salaries, many sanitation workers are still on strike.

The court made it clear that if salaries have been released by the civic bodies and sanitation workers are not reporting to duty, it will decide on declaring the strike "illegal".

Civic agencies told the court that salaries have been released on February 8 and will be available in their bank accounts by February 10 or 11, as the process takes time.

Employees of Delhi's three main civic bodies have been protesting over the non-payment of salaries for the past few months, directing their ire at both the Delhi and the central governments. However, after the court's intervention, unions agreed to call off the strike.