Domestic breeding checkers (DBC), who work under the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, continued their strike on the second consecutive day. They said that their strike will continue untill MCD agrees to fulfil their demands.
They declared this indefinite strike on Monday, July 31, claiming the MCD refused to accept their demands for regularisation, safety, and better equipment. While MCD authorities have been appealing to them to put an end to this ongoing strike and ask them to get back to their work, the DBC workers denied it.
However, the protest comes at a time when the city has reported 56 dengue cases in a week. According to the latest report issued by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, the tally had risen to 243 as of July 28.
Devendra Sharma, president of the Anti-Malaria Ekta Employees Union, said that they had given the notice to the MCD mayor and commissioner, mentioning that our members will go on an indefinite strike starting July 31 if our long-pending demands are not met before that.
He further added that they had a meeting with the Additional Commissioner and Mayor Shelly Oberoi.
Sharma said the Mayor verbally assured us our demands would be met and requested that we pause our strike. But when we asked her to provide a written assurance, she refused to do so. So we decided to continue the strike until some written proof was given.
A senior MCD official said, “Not all DBC workers have joined the strike, and some are still doing their job to tackle the issue of mosquito breeding. Other officials of the public health department have been put to work on the ground. We are hopeful that the protesting employees will fulfil their duties and come back to work soon.”
