Sanitation workers stage protest demanding pending salary

In a demonstration organized by the Jan Suvidha Toilet Safai Sevak Union, sanitation workers gathered in front of Municipal Corporation Sector 17 under the leadership of union head Ashok Bainiwal. The workers strongly voiced their demands, including payment at DC rates and the clearance of three months’ pending salaries for those working under AMU. The Municipal Corporation administration faced criticism during the protest.

Joint Commissioner S Sodhi, following discussions with the Chief Engineer, assured the union delegation that an agenda regarding the payment of salaries as per DC rates for sanitation workers under AMU would be presented in the next Municipal Corporation meeting. He further pledged to resolve the remaining issues by convening a meeting between the union and the Chief Engineer and SE Public Health.

Addressing the gathering, leaders of the Coordination Committee of Government and MC Employees and Workers UT Chandigarh, including President Satinder Singh, General Secretary Rakesh Kumar, and Coordinator Gurcharan Singh, supported the demand for payment at DC rates for all sanitation workers. They also demanded the release of three months’ pending salary for sanitation workers in public convenience toilets from 2019, the cancellation of AMUs for all toilets under the Municipal Corporation, implementation of DC rates, provision of oil, soap, and jaggery to workers, and the timely payment of pending salary to worker Asha. The leaders emphasized the need to halt the economic exploitation of workers by contractors.

The protest included employees gathering outside the Municipal Corporation, expressing their grievances and pressing for their demands to be addressed promptly.