The city will witness yet another garbage crisis for the next two days as thousands of sanitation workers went on a three-day strike on Wednesday to press their demands for regular salaries and payment of arrears. The civic workers also said that their strike can continue for an “indefinite period” if the Delhi government doesn’t pay heed to their demands.
The development snowballed into a political slugfest with the BJP-led three civic corporations blaming the AAP government for their financial woes and the Kejriwal government claiming that “huge corruption” in the MCDs was the reason for their failure to release the salaries of the sanitation workers.
“We have decided to go on three-day strike till January 29 following which we will review whether to continue it or not. If our dues are not met, we will continue the strike for an indefinite period. Sanitation workers as well as employees of other departments are also participating in the strike,” Rajendra Mewati, general secretary of the United Front of MCD Employees, said.
The three municipal corporations — SDMC, EDMC and NDMC — have a total of around 1.25 lakh employees, including about 60,000 sanitation workers. Most of them are on strike as their salaries have delayed by up to three months and arrears have not been paid from many years. They also have raised demands for regularisation of contract workers, provision of health cards and other service related benefits.
Accusing the BJP of “dirty politics” over the issue, Delhi tourism minister Kapil Mishra claimed there is a “conspiracy” to make Delhiites reside in the middle of garbage. Even as a section of sanitation workers went on a strike seeking “immediate” release of funds for payment of their salaries and arrears, the minister said that all dues have been cleared by the Delhi government to the three municipal bodies.
“There has been corruption of crores of rupees in the municipal corporations. That is why they are not able to even release the salaries of their staff despite receiving all their dues from the government and taxes from people,” Mr Mishra claimed.
Saying that on January 15, the commissioners of all three corporations had in a written submission admitted that all dues had been released to them by the AAP government, the city minister sought to know “where the money given to the MCDs is going ”
“When the government has given the entire amount for the current financial year meant to be spent on the salaries of employees, why has it not reached them ” he asked.
