Fire brigade employees in Karnal extend strike

After talks with government officials failed to reach any consensus on Thursday evening, the fire brigade employees have extended their strike for two days till Saturday evening to press their demands, including justice and status of martyrs for two colleagues who lost their lives in the line of duty during the Faridabad fire tragedy.

On the call of the Haryana Fire Services Employees Union, the employees started their strike on Wednesday for two days, but when no assurance was given to them, they extended it for two more days. The protesting employees staged a dharna at the Fire Brigade office at Sector 4 in the city. They announced a state-level meeting in Rohtak on Saturday, where the employees may take a major decision. This convention will be attended by the Municipal Employees Union and the Fire Brigade Employees Union.

Karnal Fire Brigade Employees Union president Sandeep Tyagi said there were around 182 employees in the district, out of which 157 are working on payroll, three under HKRN, and only 20–22 were regular employees. He emphasised that all employees had united in support of the strike.

Tyagi said the demand for regularisation of employees had been pending for a long time. One of the major reasons for the strike was the demand to grant “martyr” status to two firemen who lost their lives in the Faridabad fire incident. The union is also demanding financial assistance of Rs 1 crore each for the families of the deceased employees.

He alleged that despite several rounds of talks with ministers and senior officials, the government had not shown a positive response. “The authorities have adopted a rigid attitude and are not concerned about the employees, forcing us to go on strike,” he said.

Highlighting the risks involved in their job, Tyagi said firemen put their lives on the line every day and accidents can happen anytime, as seen in the Faridabad incident. He reiterated that the government must recognise the sacrifice of the deceased employees and provide adequate compensation to their families.