Sanitation workers strike work for 2 hrs

Our Correspondent

Mohali, April 25

Members of the Safai Karamchari Union of the Municipal Corporation today held a gate rally outside the office building. They raised slogans against the corporation authorities and struck work for two hours.

Union president Sobha Ram said a similar protest would be held next week and if the authorities concerned failed to meet their demands, the employees would go on strike.

He said the union had demanded that safai karamcharis should be employed by the civic body at the “DC rates” and their services be regularised.

He said the previous state government had completed the formalities to regularise the services of safai karamcharis working on a contractual basis. Copies of the government orders were given by the union to the Mayor and the Commissioner, but they had failed to implement the decision.

Municipal Commissioner Rajesh Dhiman said the union wanted that safai karamcharis should be kept on contract by the civic body and not through outsourcing. He said, at present, no new employees were being kept. It was mentioned in the relevant proceedings under the previous SAD government that the process to regularise the services of safai karamcharis working on contract was being initiated. However, no notification in this regard has been issued by the government.

The Commissioner said when the union members met him today, they had only mentioned that safai karmacharis working on contract were not getting their salaries in time and adequate quantity of soap as per the terms of the contract.