As municipal workers’ strike over delay in payment of salaries entered ninth day on Thursday, all eyes are on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal — currently in Bengaluru for naturopathy treatment is set to return on Sunday to the national Capital. Fed up with corporations’ ‘mismanagement’, it is understood that the issues of unification of the municipal corporations and incorporating the corporations under the Delhi Government would be discussed with him, according to reliable sources.
Moreover, employees are looking forward to CM’s intervention to bring an end to their misery of not being paid salaries on time. On Wednesday, the Doctors’ Association and some protesting staff asked the Delhi Government to take over their departments and pay their salaries.
With the situation deteriorating by the day, sources said a memorandum in this regard will be handed over to the Government soon.
“Even after performing our duties well, we have been harassed by the Corporations. Our salaries and other dues have not been released for more than a quarter due to which we fear loss of jobs. Now at this stage, we not just want timely payment of salaries but job security also. We will be satisfied enough if the Delhi Government takes over the civic agencies which is our official current employer. For us, it’s hardly a matter that we are employees of municipal corporations or Delhi Government as we are bound to provide our services in any of them,” said Rajendra Mewati, general secretary of the front and president of Delhi Pradesh Safai Majdoor Union.
The strike called by all municipal staff has crippled the civic services especially sanitation and health. Now with sight of things getting resolved, the striking unions have advocated alternative ways to overcome the crisis.
“Despite complete civic shutdown across the city for the last nine days, no solution has been reached as top brass of BJP-ruled Corporations have completely failed to pay heed to our need. What is shocking is that no one from all three municipal corporations has called us during the strike to settle the score. At this juncture, taking over of the civic agencies by the Delhi Government is a better option to come out of this precarious situation,” said Rajesh Mishra, president of United Front of municipal staff and Engineers’ Association as well.
The workers also maintained that if the Government takes over ailing agencies, contractual staff will get a lifeline. “The Delhi Government has promised not to discontinue services of contractual/ad hock staff and have been fulfilling it. The municipal corporations, in order to minimise expenses, have been proposing to show them exit door. If such staff directly comes under the local government, it will help in continuing their services,” said general secretary of Teachers’ Association Ram Niwas Solanki.