Sanitation workers stage dharna in Ambala

Door-to-door garbage collection workers, engaged through a contractor, of the Municipal Council, Ambala Sadar, on Monday held a demonstration to get their salaries of last three months released.

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The sanitation workers suspended their work in the morning, staged a dharna at the gate of the municipal council and raised slogans in support of their demand.

As per the information, over 190 persons are working as door-to-door garbage collection workers in the Ambala Sadar area and they were not paid since January.

Agitating employees said they played a key role in the keeping the city clean by collecting garbage from residential and market places but they were being harassed as their dues were not cleared. They also need to pay the rent, school fees and clear medical bills. They have been requesting the authorities but no action was taken and they were forced to stage a dharna.

Mange Ram, a door-to-door garbage collection employee, said “We have been facing a tough situation with no salaries for the past three months. The employees haven’t paid their electricity bills and are even finding it hard to buy groceries for their houses.”

The employees also submitted a memorandum to the newly elected president of the Municipal Council, Ambala Sadar, Swaran Kaur.

She said “The employees have submitted their memorandum and I will take up the matter with the officials and get their grievances resolved. All efforts will be made to ensure that the employees get their salaries in time.”

The employees later ended their dharna after getting assurance from the contractor their salaries of one month would be cleared by Monday evening and the remaining salaries by Thursday.

Sewa Ram, president, Ambala unit of Nagarpalika Karamchari Sangh, Haryana, said “The employees engaged for the door-to-door garbage collection in Ambala Sadar haven’t been paid salaries for the last three months. The contractor has claimed that his bills were yet to be cleared by the council authorities due to which the salaries were pending. Without the salaries of three months, the employees have been going through a bad phase and they are struggling to manage their household expenses.”

“A representative of the contractor has assured the employees that one month salary will be transferred into the accounts of the employees on Monday and the remaining by Thursday. Following the assurance given, the employees resumed their duties in the afternoon. If the salaries are not cleared by Thursday, as per the assurance given, the employees union will be forced to take some strict decisions and intensify the protest”, he added.