Safai workers' strike enters 6th day; MCD teachers follow suit

Sanitation workers staged protests across the city as their strike entered the sixth day today even as thousands of teachers of MCD schools, too, refused to report for duty, hitting academic work.
The teachers, who had earlier announced a 'chalk-down' strike, today decided to go on a complete strike.
The strike by nearly 12,000 teachers of about 1,100 NDMC and EDMC schools will affect around 7 lakh students, a senior municipal officer said.
"We have been on a 'chalk down' strike, but today the teachers of the north and east corporation schools went on a complete strike," said Ram Niwas Solanki, general secretary of Nagar Nigam Shikshak Sangh.

"The teachers are facing problems as they have not been paid salaries for 2-3 months. Not only this, other payments, like pension, GPF and arrears, too, haven't been cleared," he claimed.
A group of striking employees today met Lt Governor Najeeb Jung and took up their problems with him.

"We met the Lt Governor and placed our problems and demands before him. We requested him that Rs 5,000 crore were needed to solve the crisis over the non-payment of salaries and arrears of the employees," said Sanjay Gehlot, president of Swatantra Mazdoor Vikas Sanyukt Morcha.
"The LG assured us that he would write to Delhi government and asked us to meet him on February 3," he added.

The United Front of MCD Employees said that protests in various parts of the city continued as the demands of the striking employees are yet to be fulfilled.
"All the municipal corporation employees, including sanitation workers, teachers, doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, engineers and other technical and non-technical staff are on strike," said Rajendra Mishra, president of the Front.
Sanitation workers staged protests in front of the residences of AAP ministers and MLAs across the city.
Protesters threw garbage at the residences and offices of AAP minister Kapil Mishra and MLAs Akhilesh Tripathi and Somdutt as they demanded that the Delhi government extend funds to the municipal corporations.

"Protests were held in front of the residences and offices of minister Kapil Mishra, AAP Model Town MLA Tripathi and the part's Sadar Bazar MLA Som Dutt," said a leader of the protesters.
The striking workers said they threw garbage and held demonstrations in Laxmi Nagar, Sangam Park, Uttam Nagar and other areas of north and east Delhi, he added.
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Meanwhile, the leaders of United Front of MCD Employees criticised the Lt Governor for not inviting them for a meeting to discuss the issues vis-a-vis the strike.
"It's disgusting that the LG called a union leader associated with BJP instead of United Front -- which represents all cadres (of employees) -- just because we are not associated with any political party," said the United Front of MCD Employees president.