No proposal to privatise services of sanitation workers: NDMC tells union leaders

The BJP-led North Delhi Municipal Corporation on Thursday said there was no proposal to privatise services of sanitation workers, following which several workers belonging to various safai karmachari unions decided to not go on strike, officials said.

The workers had planned to hold a protest at the Civic Centre on Friday and then go on strike, MCD Swachhta Karamchari Union president Sanjay Gehlot said.

A senior NDMC official said a meeting was held at the Civic Centre, during which North Delhi Mayor Avtar Singh, NDMC Commissioner Varsha Joshi and other senior officials of the corporation interacted with representatives of various sanitation workers unions.

"The representatives, who were apprehensive that there was a proposal to privatise services of sanitation workers, were told that there was no such proposal," the officials said.

It was also decide that contractual workers hired by NDMC during 1996-1998 would be considered for regularisation in a phased manner, Gahlot said.

"The phased manner of regularisation will take place after a reference period of two successive financial years, from 1998 onwards, i.e., 1998-2000, while for workers appointed ion the basis of compassionate grounds shall be considered, with reference point up to March 31, 2010," he added.

"Since we were given assurances by the leaders of NDMC, we will not go on dharna or strike tomorrow," he said.

The NDMC official said the corporation has about 15,000 full-time sanitation workers and a couple of thousands hired on a contractual basis.