Civic body staff strike over salary delay goes on

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 10

The pen down strike of employees of the Municipal Corporation (MC) over delay in disbursement of salaries entered the third day here today. Activists of the Sanjhi Sangharsh Committee of MC employees boycotted the work. However, the field staff has been working as usual.

Visitors at the MC offices faced inconvenience as they had to return empty handed amid the strike.

Meanwhile, on the call of the Sanjhi Sangharsh Committee, the protesters gathered at the head office and raised slogans against the state government and the MC Commissioner demanding release of their two-month salary without any further delay.

Vinod Kumar Bitta, general secretary of the Sanjhi Sangharsh Committee, said due to the non-release of salaries, employees had been facing difficulties to make both ends meet. “Most of the employees haven’t received their salaries since June. We gave several notices to the MC Commissioner, who claimed that the civic body didn’t have enough funds to pay. If the government doesn’t release the budget for salaries in a day or two, we will intensify our agitation,” he added.

Bitta said they did not call the field staff for strike as residents would face inconvenience in the rainy season. If the MC doesn’t release our salaries, the field staff will also join the strike, he added.