Sanitation workers on strike, Delhi staring at garbage crisis

Thousands municipal corporation sanitation workers today went on strike to press their demands for regular salaries and payment of arrears and held protests at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence and also at Jantar Mantar here.
"We are now on an indefinite strike as both the Delhi government and the municipal corporations have failed to meet our demands of payment of regular salaries and arrears among others. A memorandum of our demands was handed over to an official during protest at Kejriwal's residence," said Sanjay Gehlot, president of Swatantra Mazdoor Vikas Sanyukt Morcha.
"The strike is supported by 27 employees unions representing not only sanitation workers but also other class IV and III employees as well as nurses and teachers who are participating in it," Gehlot claimed.

As the city appeared to be staring at a garbage crisis like last year after a similar stir, the Delhi High Court today asked the Delhi Police commissioner to ensure that there is no hindrance to lifting of garbage in coordination with the civic bodies, in view of the indefinite strike by sanitation workers.
"Commissioner of Police (B S Bassi) to ensure that the garbage are removed from the roads in coordination with the Municipal Corporations," a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath said.
Another group of sanitation workers led by United Front of MCD Employees leaders staged protest at Jantar Mantar raising their demands of payment of salaries and arrears as well as unification of three municipal corporations in Delhi.

"We have decided to be on three-day strike till January 29 following which we will review whether to continue it or not. Sanitation workers as well as employees of other departments are also participating in the strike," said Rajendra Mewati, general secretary of the United Front.

The three municipal corporations-SDMC, EDMC and NDMC- have a total of around 1.25 lakh employees including about 60,000 sanitation workers, municipal officials said.
Most of them are on strike as salaries are delayed by up to three months while arrears have not been paid from many years. They also have raised demands for regularisation of contract workers, health cards and other service related benefits.

The cash-strapped North Delhi MunicipalCorporation and East Delhi Municipal Corporation have claimed that Delhi Government is responsible for the financial woes but the latter has maintained that "it does not owe" any dues.
The sanitation workers and other employees of South
Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) have also joined the strike in support of their colleagues in other two corporations, claimed the leaders of striking employees.
The salary and pension dues of NDMC are around Rs 248 crore while while EDMC owes dues of around Rs 146 crore to its employees and pensioners. The SDMC is paying salary and pensions in time, leaders of BJP ruled municipal corporations said.

The municipal corporations facing financial crisis have accused Delhi government of withholding their funds totaling Rs 2,971 crore under recommendations of 3rd Delhi Finance Commission (DFC) and not implementing 4th DFC worsening their condition and creating problems in paying salaries and pensions.
On the other hand, Delhi government has claimed that it has given 100 percent funds to the three civic bodies.