Civic amenities of the State capital virtually collapsed after 2300 cleanliness workers of Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) who are backbone of civic amenities service of RMC resorted to strike on Friday against decision of RMC to withdraw Rs 2,000 given to them as incentive for their service rendered in the wake of outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic. RMC covers 53 wards.
The strike came at a time when there is peak time for monsoon and so the cases of Covid-19 increasing at an alarming rate.
Notably, despite statewide lockdown along with prohibition on mass gathering to maintain social distancing, safai workers held a demonstration at Albert Ekka Chowk on Friday for hours.
While the demonstration led RMC bosses red-faced it badly affected civic
amenities and sanitisation drive of the affected pockets of the city capital.
However, after RMC threatened their termination some of the safai workers returned to their work and efforts are going on to persuade remaining safai workers to join their duty.
As safai workers have played a key role in the fight against Covid-19 RMC announced Rs 2,000 as incentive per month to each safai worker. They were paid incentive for the month of March, April and May. But the incentive was withdrawn from the month of June that led safai workers annoyed.
They contended that while Covid-19 has gone uncontrolled RMC should have continued incentive since they are discharging their duty with high risk of contamination.
Incentive was started when during lockdown as many a large number of safai workers started applying for leave and some of them remained absent without informing their immediate superior. They said that they are scared by the outbreak of the pandemic. They say that owing to the nature of their duty they are vulnerable to this disease. In order to bring them back to work RMC started payment of incentives. Other than that their transportation was also arranged besides they were provided with masks and hand sanitiser.
Safai workers get Rs 7,000 monthly remuneration. But they actually get Rs 5,400 only as Rs 1,400 is deposited in their provident fund account by the RMC. They are entitled for four week off a month and not any other Government holidays since they are daily wages staff.