With workers' unions on strike, NrMCD reels under pressure to pay salaries

New Delhi: As North Delhi reels under the pressure of workers demanding back pay of three to eight months and the garbage keep piling in the city, Mayor Jai Prakash on Monday met with representatives of the workers' union and said that salaries of all safai karamcharis had been

released.

However, the North civic body is also facing heat from workers of up to 40 employees' unions, representatives of whom met with the mayor on Monday but came out of the meeting unsatisfied.

While the Mayor tried to pacify workers by promising that a month's salary will be released between January 27 to 30, most workers, reeling under debts, EMI/loan payments and negligible income, returned dissatisfied.

The mayor also added that nurses, teachers, paramedical and other staff will receive at least one month's salary by the end of January but at the same time blamed the Delhi Government for North MCD's severe shortage of funds. North MCD employees have been on strike since January 7. Many have not received their dues for the past three to five months. Pensioners have said that they haven't received pensions for almost eight months now.

And as safai karamcharis gave up on their duties due to unpaid salaries and garbage accumulated in several parts of the city, residents continue to face trouble.

"We met the Mayor, Commissioner and Additional Commissioner but did not receive a satisfactory reply. He (the Mayor) keeps speaking of paying off a month's salary here, 2 months' salary there.... We condemn this. A month's salary will go away solely to pay medical bills, EMIs, loan repayments, etc., we will not even have enough left to feed our families. This is not why we have been sitting on the road in protest! Only if we receive our collective payments will it make any difference", members of the Paramedical Workers and Nurses Union said.

In addition, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Durgesh Pathak said on Monday that instead of using the money to pay its employees, "the BJP-ruled MCD is using it in the name of councillor fund". He further added that garbage is piled up across North MCD areas because sanitation workers are on strike.

In response, Mayor Jai Prakash said that North MCD has "not received even a single Rupee" of the Rs. 938 crore fund that the Delhi Government is supposed to have released to pay off pending MCD salaries.