Sanitation workers threaten to intensify stir

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, December 27

The protest by contractual sanitation employees and workers of the JIFT company outside the gate of the Municipal Corporation Bathinda (MCB) today entered its second day. The sanitation workers have been demanding regularisation of their services and abolition of the contractual system.

The protesters raised slogans against the state government and the officials of the civic body. The workers have also threatened to dump the garbage outside the gate of the MCB if their demands were not met. They also threatened to block the traffic at Hanuman Chowk.

Residents of the city faced problems in two days due to the strike by the sanitation workers, who collect garbage from houses in the city. They also announced to continue their protest till the time their demands were met, which may escalate the problems of the residents.

While addressing the protesters, JITF Worker Union president Sukhwinder Singh said, “Around 400 workers, who collect garbage in the city and take it to the solid waste treatment plant, have been working for the past six years. They work hard to keep the city neat and clean, but nobody pays heed to their demands. The contractual system should be done away with and all JITF workers should be directly brought under the corporation.”

Sewerage Workers Union president Nem Chand and other leaders said, “The workers, who have been working for a long time should be regularised so that they can work with more dedication. If our demands are not fulfilled soon, then we will intensify our protest in the coming days. The ruling alliance of the SAD-BJP will have to pay a huge price for ignoring our demands.”

The protesters also lashed out at Mayor Balwant Rai Nath and Commissioner Anil Kumar Garg. They said these officials are not serious about their demands and were just passing the time by giving lame excuses. They are just waiting Code of Conduct to come into force, they added.