Sanitation workers in Haryana call off 16-day old strike after

The 16-day long strike by sanitation workers in Haryana was today called off after the state government conceded to most of the demands including hike in salary and allowances.

"The agitating Safai and sewer karamcharis in Haryana have decided to call off their strike," Haryana Urban Local Bodies Minister, Kavita Jain told reporters here.

Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Krishan Kumar Bedi, and Minister of State for Cooperation, Manish Grover, also jointly addressed a press conference along with Jain after a meeting with office-bearers of the Municipal Workers Union and Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, here today.

Both unions announced their decision to end the strike.

The Safai and sewer karamcharis of municipal bodies in Haryana will now get a lump sum salary of Rs 13,500 per month. Besides, it has also been decided to end the practice of contractual engagement and absorb the employees in the payroll of the department, the ministers told reporters.

Giving details, Jain said the broom allowance would be raised from Rs 2 to Rs 150 per month and safai allowance from Rs 350 to Rs 1,000 per month.

"It has also been decided to increase the allowance being given in lieu of work on a holiday from Rs 600 to Rs 1,000 and washing allowance from Rs 240 to Rs 440 per month," she said.

She said the government had already set up a separate directorate of fire services. The vacancies of fireman would be re-advertised to provide benefit to contractual fireman employed at present.

They would be given time to meet the revised qualifications like education till class 12, fire fighting course and heavy driving license. Till then, they would not be removed, she said.

Regarding regularisation of the services of contractual employees, a committee will be constituted to formulate a policy. It would also include office-bearers of the two employees' unions. Employees bereft of the benefit of equal work, equal pay would get the benefit, Jain said.

The Urban Local Bodies Department has decided to create a web portal application under which any employee of the department who feels that he or she should get the benefit of equal work, equal pay, can apply. The case would be decided within two months, she added.

Earlier, in a bid to end the strike, the Haryana Government had set up a committee under the chairmanship of Jain, to hold meetings with leaders of the striking workers and work out on agreement on their demands.

Krishan Kumar Bedi and Manish Grover were members of the committee.

Notably, garbage has piled up at several places across the state as the standoff between the striking employees and government continued over past fortnight.

Prior to today's meeting, talks between the state government and the representatives of the striking employees on past two occasions had failed.