The members of Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) Workers’ Association will go on indefinite strike from February 26 putting all essential services at stake. According to the president of RMC workers’ union, Naresh Ram, over 300 workers will support the strike.
“Our major demands include payment to employees in accordance to seventh pay commission norms, appointment of more numbers of staffs on contractual basis, clearance of arrears including other perks,” said Ram.
This is for the third time, the association members have called for an indefinite strike. Earlier in 2014 and 2016, both contractual and permanent employees have raised the issue demanding intervention of senior authorities.
“Payment of arrears of around 500 employees according to the fifth pay commission has yet not been fulfilled. Also, increasing the family and regular retirement pensions and providing jobs on compensation grounds are among few other major demands that are taken into consideration,” he added.
According to a protesting employee, “The workers’ union has been putting the demands for last two years but nothing has been done yet by the concerned authorities.
The retirement pension of both grade 3 and 4 is comparatively less, which should be increased. Besides, the monthly wage, we want that the pension amount must be increased to Rs 20,000.”
Also, permanent sanitation workers are expected to join the protest besides the contractual sanitation workers hired to manage, segregate and disperse solid wastes from across the city. “Another meeting has been scheduled on February 12 with the staffs. Sanitation workers are also expected to lend support to the protest, bringing the cleanliness work to complete standstill.
“We have invited them to talk on the matter, considering their demands; the decision will be made accordingly. The matter has been taken to the senior authorities. As far as cleanliness of capital city is concerned, garbage cleaning and door to door garbage collection will not suffer,” said RMC Officer (PR), Bijendra Kumar.