Sanitation workers block traffic in protest

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, March 22

Following a call by the Safai Sewak Union Punjab and the Punjab Municipal Workers Federation, safai sewaks from Ferozepur, Bathinda, Patiala, Ludhiana and Sangrur staged a protest outside the Municipal Corporation Bathinda office today.

The protesters took out a protest march from various markets in the city and blocked the Mall Road at the Fire Brigade road. The protesters also raised slogans against the state government. The traffic remained suspended for more than half an hour on the busy Mall Road. The police had to divert the traffic through narrow lanes of the city.

Seeing the protest intensifying, Mayor Balwant Rai Nath and Joint Municipal Commissioner Kamal Kant Goyal reached the spot and tried to pacify the protesters. The protesters ask them to arrange a panel meeting with the Chief Minister. Mayor Balwant Rai Nath and KK Goyal assured them that within 15 days, their meeting with the CM would be arranged.

While addressing the protesters, Om Parkash from Abohar, Vijay Kumar from Muktsar and Gora Lal from Bathinda said contract system should be ended in all the municipal corporations, municipals councils and gram panchayats and workers should be regularised.

They also stated that route should be opened for the promotion of safai workers and clerks. Even gardeners, pump operators, computer operators should also be regularised without any condition. They also demanded that the new pension scheme should be cancelled and the old pension scheme implemented.

The other demands included cancellation of false cases registered against Roshan Lal Soni and other safai workers during the protest at Pathankot in 2014., payment of salary during the period of the strike to the workers and making of new recruitment as per the beats in the city and giving salaries on time. They also demanded that special allowance for the safai sewaks should be raised to Rs 1,000 per month by the MC.