Chandigarh Garbage Collectors Strike Brings Sanitation to Halt

by The_unmuteenglish

Chandigarh, 31 Dec. 2024: Door-to-door garbage collection services in Chandigarh ground to a halt Monday as waste collectors began an indefinite strike, leaving residents grappling with overflowing bins and mounting waste. The disruption, compounded by Sunday’s non-working day, has caused widespread inconvenience across the city.

Municipal Commissioner Amit Kumar announced a “no work, no pay” policy in response to the strike. “Salaries will be withheld for the days staff remain on strike, including December 21, when some workers had already stopped work,” Kumar stated. He urged the workers to reconsider their actions, emphasizing that “constructive dialogue is possible, but only if the strike is called off.”

A section of the waste collectors initiated their protest over demands for higher wages and better working conditions. According to union president Dharamvir Rana, their workload increased significantly after responsibilities expanded last year to include commercial waste collection. “We were initially tasked with residential waste collection as per the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the municipal corporation. The expanded duties without salary revisions have made working conditions unsustainable,” Rana said, calling for a revised MoU with more worker-friendly terms.

The workers had staged a one-day suspension of services on December 21 and attended a meeting with the municipal corporation on December 26. However, no agreement was reached. “The MC offered us a labor rate that doesn’t address our concerns. We have no choice but to strike until our demands are met,” Rana added.

Meanwhile, the municipal corporation is working on alternative arrangements to manage waste disposal. “Residents are requested to hand over segregated waste directly to collection vehicles during this period,” said the commissioner.

Protesters spent Monday gathered at the city’s Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), maintaining their demand for immediate action on wage revisions and fair working conditions.

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