High drama at MC office over allotment of rooms to unions

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 14

High drama was witnessed at the office of the Municipal Corporation when employees of various unions boycotted lifting of garbage from the city today morning. They also staged a protest at the Ranjit Avenue office against evacuation of union offices from the Town Hall building.

The district administration had closed offices of unions at Town Hall building yesterday. Irked over the development, employees unions gathered at the head office late in the evening yesterday and demanded allotment of space in the new building at Ranjit Avenue.

To press the authorities for allotment of offices, office-bearers of the Joint Action Committee and Joint Action Front gave a call to boycott lifting of garbage. Unionists asked sanitary workers to not come to their office. They also did not allow workers of the private solid waste management company to lift garbage. They unloaded vehicles of the private company on dumps early in the morning today.

Meanwhile, a large number of activists of Class III and Class IV employees unions gathered at the head office in Ranjit Avenue and staged a protest. Soon after, senior officials of the MC allotted room No. 324 to unions, which was earlier earmarked for the solid waste management company. Officials of the MC suggested to unions to partition the large room for making their separate offices.

There are more than 20 unions of the Municipal Corporation Class III and IV staff. These unions have constituted two major groups — Joint Action Committee and Joint Action Front — for taking up their cause with authorities concerned. Now, MC officials have allotted the room to the Joint Action Committee. Meanwhile, office-bearers of the Joint Action Front are disappointed with decision of the authorities concerned.

Joint Action Committee president Harjinder Saingh Walia said, “Officials told us that they can’t allot separate rooms to every union. We understand the problem as there are not enough rooms. We have asked the authorities to hold elections of unions. The room will be allotted to groups, which win elections.” Later, MC employees resumed lifting of garbage in the city.