After docs, others too want to come within Delhi govt fold

The unions, who announced to continue their strike even after the announcement of a loan of Rs 541 crore to the MCDs for salary payment, have said that they are fed-up with the Corporations’ managements which have failed to look after their concerns and want urgent intervention from the city government.

As the strike, called by all MCD staff under one banner, has crippled the civic services, especially sanitation and health, the striking unions have advocated alternative ways to overcome the crisis. The agitating staff have unanimously decided to move their demands to the Delhi government in which merging of civic bodies is the major one. “Despite complete civic shutdown across the city for the last nine days, no solution has been witnessed as the top brass of the BJP-ruled Corporations have completely failed to pay heed on our needs. Shocking is that no one from all three MCDs has called us during the days of strike to assure us anything. At this juncture, taking over of the civic agencies by the Delhi government is a better option to come out with,” said Rajesh Mishra, president of United Front of MCD staff and engineers’ association as well.

The protestors further revealed that a memorandum in this regard will be handed over to the government soon as the situation is deteriorating by every passing day. “Even after performing our duties well, we have been harassed by the Corporations. Our salaries and other dues have not been released of more than a quarter due to which we fear loss of job. Now at this stage, we not just want timely payment of salaries but job security also. We will be satisfied enough if the Delhi government takeover MCDs which is our current employer. For us, it’s hardly a matter that we are employees of MCDs or of the Delhi government as we are bound to provide our services in any of them,” said Rajendra Mewati, general secretary of the front and president of Delhi Pradesh Safai Majdoor Union.

The workers also maintained that if the government takes over the ailing agencies, contractual staff will get a lifeline. “The Delhi government has promised not to discontinue services of contractual/ad hoc staff and have been fulfilling it. The MCDs, in order to minimise expenses, have been proposing to show them the exit door. If such staff directly come under the local government, it will help in continuing their services,” said general secretary of teachers’ association Ram Niwas Solanki.

Notably, the doctors association of all MCD hospitals on Wednesday had written a letter to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal seeking his urgent intervention to overcome the crisis. The Municipal Corporation Doctor’s Association, which consisted about 7,000 doctors and other medical staff too, pleaded that either the Delhi government or the Centre should take stock of the situation to bail out the cash-strapped Corporations from the financial crisis so that salaries of all employees can be paid immediately.