Municipal employees in Hry extend strike till May 17

Municipal employees in Haryana today decided to extend their ongoing strike till May 17 over various demands including, regularisation of nearly 20,000 contractual staff and equal pay for equal work.

The decision to extend the strike was taken after a meeting between the workers' representatives and the state government officials.

"The meeting was held in Delhi and from the government's side Principal Secretary of Urban Local Bodies Department Anand Mohan Sharan and other officials listened to our demands.

"After the meeting, Sharan told us that he will convey whatever transpired between the two sides to Urban Local Bodies Minister Kavita Jain," said Subhash Lamba, general secretary of Sarv Karamchari Sangh, an umbrella body representing various employees unions in the state.

"He also told us that the chief minister will take a final call on once he returns from his foreign tour tomorrow," he said.

Nearly 30,000 employees that includes a large number of Safai Karamcharis, drawn from over 80 municipal corporations, municipal committees and councils had gone on strike on Wednesday, Lamba said.

Initially, they had gone on a three-day strike, but it was twice extended.

Garbage has started to pile up at different places due to the strike.

However, Lamba said that they were ensuring that regular water supply is maintained while those working in the Fire Department were also attending to all the emergency calls.

"We do not want to put common public to inconvenience. We know that garbage has started to pile up at different places. But now the ball is in the government's court," he said.

Lamba said main demands of the striking employees are regularisation of nearly 20,000 contractual employees and equal pay for equal work.

"We are also demanding a hike in minimum pay of sanitation workers from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 per month," he said, adding other demands pertain to employees working in the Fire Department.

Accusing the BJP government in the state of failing to keep the promises made to the employees in its poll manifesto, Lamba said, "Most of our demands are what the BJP promised to in their manifesto,"