EDMC terminates services of 26 contractual sanitation workers

Days after issuing a warning, the BJP-led EDMC Monday terminated the services of 26 contractual sanitation workers and suspended 17 others, with immediate effect for allegedly "creating obstruction" in work, the civic body said.

Sanitation workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) have been on strike since September 12, demanding regular payment of salaries and regularisation of workers.

"The EDMC has disengaged services of 26 contracted Paryavaran Sahayak (Safai Karamcharis) due to creating obstruction in work and suspended 17 others Paryavaran Sahayaks of the corporation with immediate effect," the EDMC said in a statement issued on Monday night.

Earlier in the day, scores of sanitation workers had staged a huge protest at the Jantar Mantar here, during which police used "mild force" to disperse the crowd.

The EDMC on Friday had issued a circular directing all the sanitation workers to resume work from October 6.

"All the sanitation workers are directed to resume work from October 6, failing which they will be removed from their post," the circular said.

As decided earlier, the authorities also regularised services of six sanitation workers engaged on or after April 1, 1998, on the basis of seniority, the civic body said.

The EDMC has around 16,000 workers, half of whom are permanent employees.

On September 26, it had decided to begin the process for permanent employment of contractual sanitation workers who were recruited after March 31, 1998.