Municipal workers in Haryana extend strike till May 14

Garbage has started to pile up in different areas of Haryana raising a stink as a large number of municipal workers decided today to extend till May 14 their three-day strike across the state in support of their demands, including regularisation of contractual employees.

Nearly 30,000 employees of over 80 municipal corporations, municipal committees and councils began a three-day strike on Wednesday, said Subhash Lamba, general secretary of Sarv Karamchari Sangh, an umbrella body representing various employees unions in the state.

"Today, we decided to extend the strike till May 14 as the government is not willing to listen to our demands," he said.

He said in such a scenario they were left with no option but to extend their strike.

"We do not want to put common public to inconvenience as we know that garbage has started to pile up at different places and in this summer season this raises stink. But we are left with no other choice. The government is not listening and the ministers, who are elected public representatives, are not willing to talk to us. We have taken a decision to extend the strike till May 14, but if government does not engage in talks with us, we will be forced to extend the strike indefinitely," he said.

Lamba said the 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 safai karamcharis from Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 per month," he said.

He said the BJP government in the state had failed to keep the promises made to the employees in its poll manifesto.

The other major demands of the striking employees include implementation of cashless medical facilities for contractual employees, increasing allowances of both permanent and contractual employees, risk allowance and better safety equipment for those engaged in cleaning sewers.

A large number of municipal employees also took out protest marches at different places in the state in support of their demands. He said that as a result of the civic employees going on strike, various services were affected in the state.