With a large number of municipal workers decided to extend their ongoing strike till May 14 across the State, the Haryana Government on Saturday said the demand of regularisation of contractual employees of municipality in urban areas is unjustified as the court has put stay on regularisation of employees under various policies since 2016.
“Therefore, it is not right to protest and interrupt emergency services. In view of the protest, the employees have been interrupting cleanliness and emergency services such as fire,” said a spokesman of the Urban local Bodies Department.
He said the demand of protesting employees was unjustifiable because on September 2, 2016, the double bench of the court had put stay on all regularisation policies issued on and after June 16, 2014.
Thereafter, the Chief Secretary had directed all Head of Departments to ensure compliance of these orders. In this direction, it would not be possible to regularise contractual employees, he added.
Nearly 30,000 employees of over 80 municipal corporations, municipal committees and councils had began a three-day strike on Wednesday and later announced to extend it till May 14. The main demands of the striking employees are regularisation of nearly 20,000 contractual employees and equal pay for equal work.
The other major demands of the striking employees include hike in minimum pay of safai karamcharis, implementation of cashless medical facilities for contractual employees, increasing allowances of both permanent and contractual employees, risk allowance and better safety equipment for those engaged in cleaning sewers.
The spokesman said the State Government has been making efforts to strengthen the cleanliness and fire services.
Haryana Safai Karamchari Aayog has been constituted and the government has increased the wages of safai karamcharis from Rs 8,100 to Rs 11,500, he said.
He added in case of death while cleaning sewers, the dependents of the safai karamcharis would be provided with ex-gratia amounting to Rs 10 lakh and compassionate amount of Rs three lakh in case of contractual employee. Also, risk allowance of Rs 2,000 per month is being given to employees cleaning sewers.
He said Directorate of Fire Services has been established in the state to integrate fire services. In order to further improve the fire services, 38 fire brigades have been purchased for districts and the State Government has given approval for purchase of 56 fire brigades and 102 motorcycles equipped with fire fighting devices, he added.