Slamming the Delhi Government and municipal corporations, the Delhi High Court on Wednesday stated that payment of salary is the “collective responsibility” of both the authorities when workers are still claiming that they are yet to get their wages.
“We are not concerned who will pay the wages. All the respondents (MCDs and Delhi Government) have to ensure that salaries are paid. It has to be a collective responsibility,” the Bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath said, added “in future also salary cannot be withheld.”
It also asked the corporations whether they cared about their employees, as wages of even doctors and teachers had not been paid. The court had asked the unions to provide a list of the workers, who have not received their wages as of yet after which one of the workers’ union submitted mini-statements before the court indicating they have not received their wages and contended that such a problem had occurred in June last year as well.
On the other hand, the corporations filed affidavits saying the salaries of all safai karamcharis have been released, adding that some of them may not have got the salaries due to delay at the banks’ end and assured the Bench that everyone would get their wages in a couple of days.
The Bench, thereafter, listed the matter for hearing on February 15, when it said it would also consider the other grievances raised by the sanitation workers.
“First thing, we want to ensure that salaries are paid to all safai karamcharis. Then we will consider other issues,” it said. Also, it said if the workers continued the strike despite payment of salaries, the court would then have to consider whether it is illegal.