The ongoing strike by sanitation workers under the civic bodies in the state entered Day 11 on Monday, leaving the roads choked in various cities.
According to reports, nearly 30,000 sanitation workers associated with the municipal corporations, municipal councils and municipal committees in the state were on strike since May 1, disrupting garbage collection, street sweeping, sewer cleaning and other civic services in cities.
The workers’ bodies on Monday took out marches in their cities and submitted memorandums to local MLAs and mayors.
Women workers in several districts staged a “Thali bajao, sarkar jagao” protest, urging the government to heed their demands, which include regularisation of contractual staff, implementation of minimum wages, and fulfilment of long-pending demands of fire service employees.
In Karnal, a group of workers protested against the administration after learning that private workers were employed to clear garbage outside Sanatan Dharam Mandir, the venue for a government programme chaired by Vidhan Sabha Speaker, Harvinder Kalyan.
A scuffle occurred between the police and the workers, who then left protesting toward the DC office.
Later, the protestors dumped waste on a road leading to the Karnal district and sessions court and near Karan Gate.
Led by Karnal’s unit president Raj Kumar, the protesters took out a march through various parts of the city and announced the extension of their strike till Thursday.
In Kaithal, members of the Sikh community protested against the workers’ attempt to dump waste near Khanda Chowk, right next to the municipal council office.
The workers’ union eventually decided to clean up the chowk after the protest.
Similarly in Yamunanagar, the workers gathered outside the residence of mayor Suman Bahmani and staged a large protest amid heavy police presence.
Employee unions claim that all the sanitation and civic workers from the state are participating in the agitation after talks with the Haryana government failed to resolve their demands. The situation is now worsened in cities like Rohtak, Hisar, Sonepat, Karnal, the industrial town of Bahadurgarh after the sanitation arrangements have come under severe strain.
Union leaders have accused the government of attempting to break the strike and warned that no garbage would be lifted until their demands were met.
Sarwan Bohat, former secretary Nagarpalika (MC) Karamchari Sangh said, “Even as the strike has entered the 11th day today, we did not get any invitation from the government for talks. But we have decided to continue our strike until the demands are met”.
Mukul Kumar, director general, urban local bodies Haryana said that efforts are being made to resolve the issues of sanitation workers as early as possible .
