Sanitation staff flay loans extended to corporations

Unions of sanitation workers on Sunday criticised the Delhi government for extending “conditional” loans to Municipal Corporations and said that they would raise the matter before the High Court on Monday even as the indefinite strike called by them entered the 12th day on Sunday.

The leaders of various sanitation workers’ unions alleged that while extending the loan of Rs 551 crore to municipal corporations, the Delhi government has imposed conditions that would lead to “retrenchment” and a “ban on the regularisation” of contract-based workers.

“We have decided to seek a permanent solution of our grievances from the High Court, which has sought our reply regarding the strike tomorrow. The conditional loan of Rs 551 crore by the Delhi government is against our demands of regularisation of contract-based employees and we will raise the matter before court,” said Sanjay Gehlot, president of Swatantra Mazdoor Vikas Sanyukt Morcha.

“A massive demonstration will be staged outside Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s office in protest against his conditional loan to pay salaries of municipal corporation employees,” he said.

“The striking employees and workers are fighting for a permanent solution to ensure timely payment of salaries and long-pending dues, which is not possible now as the corporations are facing acute financial problems. All relevant facts will be presented before the court by us,” said Rajesh Mishra, president of United Front of MCD Employees.

With doctors, teachers and engineers dissociating themselves from the strike which began on January 27, the unions of sanitation workers are now leading it.

The Delhi high court, while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) for calling off the strike, had sought the responses of the corporations and the sanitation workers’ unions.