NGT refuses to hear matter relating to strike by MCD workers

The National Green Tribunal has refused to deal with the issue of strike by sanitation workers in Delhi due to non-payment of salaries, after it was told that the matter is pending before the Delhi High Court.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar noted the submission by the counsel for Delhi government that the High Court was dealing with the issue of accumulation of waste due to the strike of sanitation employees and asked parties to submit their contentions before the HC.
"We are informed that the strike arising out of non-payment of salaries to the safai karamcharis and resultant non-collection of waste is subjudice before the High Court (Delhi). In light of this, we do not wish to deal with this aspect at all. The parties are at liberty to raise the issue regarding that aspect before the High Court in accordance with law," the bench said.

Advocate Balendu Shekhar, appearing for East Delhi Municipal Corporation, told the bench that sanitation workers who were protesting non-payment of salaries, have completely called off their 11-day-long strike.
This was the last batch of workers who had continued their strike even as another section had ended the protest on January 9 on receiving salaries for the last two months.
Over 17,000 sanitation workers of East Delhi Municipal Corporation had gone on strike from January 5 demanding payment of pending salaries and arrears.
Earlier, the NGT had issued notices to the Centre and Delhi government over the issue of non-payment of salaries to sanitation employees and had sought a detailed report on budget allocated for their salaries in the national capital.

The tribunal had earlier directed all municipal authorities to draw up "an integrated waste management plan for Delhi, identify landfill sites and improve condition of existing sites," among other issues.