Sanitation services across the city were severely hit on Friday after thousands of Municipal Corporation employees launched a three-day strike under the banner of the Municipal Corporation Sangharsh Committee against the alleged privatisation of the Sanitation Wing and non-fulfilment of their long-pending demands.
The main gate of the Zone A office remained blocked for several hours as a large number of protesters, including safai karamcharis, sewermen and beldars, gathered outside the office and raised slogans against the state government and MC authorities.
The protesting employees announced that door-to-door garbage collection, sewer cleaning and maintenance of parks would remain suspended during the three-day agitation. Residents in several localities expressed concern over the likely piling up of garbage and disruption in sewer maintenance work.
Union leaders alleged that the government was attempting to hand over sanitation services to private companies as Rs 1,400 integrated solid waste management tender, which would adversely affect the job security of thousands of workers. They said the employees would not allow the implementation of privatisation in the wing at any cost.
The protesters demanded permanent recruitment in the Municipal Corporation, regularisation of overage workers and restoration of the old pension scheme. They also opposed the proposed mobile app-based attendance system, claiming that it was impractical for field staff working in difficult conditions.
Leaders addressing the gathering said that repeated representations to the government and MC authorities had failed to yield any positive response, forcing employees to intensify their agitation. They warned that if their demands were ignored, the protest could be intensified in the coming days.
Heavy police deployment was witnessed outside the Zone A office to maintain law and order during the protest. Meanwhile, MC officials appealed to employees to resume work in the larger public interest, but no breakthrough had been reported till the filing of the report.
