4 days to go for civic polls: Sanitation strike ends, AAP gets breather

Bathinda: Residents across Punjab, along with the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), heaved a sigh of relief as sanitation workers resumed duties on Friday after a 16-day strike over their demands. With polling in 104 municipal bodies just four days away, the prolonged standoff had put the govt in a tight spot, as heaps of garbage piled up across towns amid the stir by nearly 30,000 workers.The municipal mulazam action committee and the safai sewak union have agreed to keep the strike in abeyance for 30 days, giving the state govt time to implement the decisions reached after multiple rounds of negotiations.Under the agreement, outsourced employees engaged in hazardous duties — including sewermen, safai sewaks, beldars and electricians — will be considered for contractual status after three years of service. Those in non-hazardous roles — such as clerks, peons and computer operators — will be eligible after five years. The decision will also extend to employees of the Sewerage Board and Water Supply Department. No wages will be deducted for the strike period, while a committee has been set up to examine demands related to regularisation and wage hikes within 30 days.The strike, which began on May 6, saw participation from both clerical staff and sanitation workers, leading to widespread accumulation of garbage across the state. Key demands included regularisation of outsourced and contractual staff, implementation of the old pension scheme, and an increase in minimum wages.The workers also opposed the contractual policy notified on February 21, 2023, particularly the provision mandating 10 years of service for regularisation, as against their demand for eligibility after three years.Municipal mulazam action committee adviser Kuldeep Kumar said the govt had earlier assured, during a 52-day strike by safai sewaks in July 2021, that a contractual policy accommodating their demands would be framed. "While the policy was notified in February 2023, it retained the 10-year condition. We demanded regularisation, wage revision and restoration of the old pension scheme. The govt has now agreed to consider these within 30 days, following which we have postponed the strike," he said.Local govt director Kulwant Singh said the state govt is committed to addressing the concerns of the employees, who have now resumed work.Pic: Taken on Thursday at Barnala