The indefinite strike by sanitation workers of the Sirhind-Fatehgarh Sahib Municipal Council continued for the eighth consecutive day, severely affecting cleanliness across the area.
Garbage piled up in residential areas, markets and along roadsides. Local residents said the situation was fast turning into a health hazard. They urged the Punjab Government to intervene immediately to resolve the impasse.
As part of their agitation, sanitation workers took out a protest march through the town and later burnt an effigy of the state government near Chungi No. 4. Some former municipal councillors also joined the protest and supported the workers’ demands. The president of the protesters’ union, Rajesh Kumar, said the employees had earlier observed a strike on March 11 and 12 over their demands, but the government failed to address their concerns, forcing them to launch an indefinite strike from May 6.
He alleged that despite repeated assurances regarding regularisation of services, not even a single sanitation worker had been made permanent. He claimed that the state budget had also ignored their welfare. The protesting workers are demanding regularisation of contractual employees, increase in wages, release of pending dearness allowance instalments, implementation of pension benefits and other service-related facilities.
