The protest by Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) sanitation workers entered its eleventh day on Monday, with protesting workers extending the agitation till May 14 and warning of an indefinite strike if their demands are not met by the Haryana government.
Escalating the protest, sanitation workers dumped piles of garbage outside the old MCG office and the Civil Hospital on Monday. Large heaps of waste dumped at both locations last week also remained uncleared, worsening sanitation conditions and causing inconvenience to commuters and residents in the area. The workers also took out a march near the old MCG office, raising slogans and carrying placards highlighting their demands.
Basant Kumar, president of Haryana Sarv Karmchari Sangh, told HT the agitation would continue till May 14 and warned of a larger protest if the government failed to intervene. “We appeal to the residents of Gurugram to support our agitation. Our demands are aimed at ensuring fair wages for sanitation workers and putting an end to the exploitation they have faced for years,” he added.
According to protesting workers, they are also preventing sanitation work from being carried out during the strike. “This protest is also being carried out for outsourced sanitation workers. While several workers employed by private agencies have extended their support to us, we are urging them to refrain from carrying out regular duties such as waste collection and road sweeping,” said one of the protesting workers, requesting anonymity.
A sanitation inspector at MCG said the corporation attempted to remove the garbage dumped outside the civic body office and Civil Hospital. “However, the protesting workers intervened and did not let us clean the area,” he added.
The sanitation workers have been demanding reinstatement of nearly 3,500 laid-off workers, withdrawal of chargesheets and alleged false cases filed during the recent strike, revocation of service breaks imposed on 26 sanitation workers and regularisation of long-serving contractual employees, as reported earlier by HT.
Residents across the city said sanitation services had deteriorated sharply during the strike, with roads filled with dust, garbage and filth. Residents passing through the old MCG office and Civil Hospital areas also said the heaps of garbage disrupted vehicular movement and left the surroundings filled with foul stenches. Savita Devi, a resident of Sector 46, said garbage had accumulated at several locations in the area. She added that the worsening condition reflected the severe impact the strike had on the city’s sanitation system.
Ward councillors have also raised concerns over the prolonged strike, urging civic authorities to initiate talks with the workers’ union to break the deadlock. Gurugram ward 4 councillor Pradeep Padam said sanitation conditions across the city have deteriorated due to the ongoing protest. “There should be proper dialogue between civic officials and sanitation workers so that the strike can be resolved at the earliest,” he said.
Meanwhile, MCG officials maintained that sanitation work was continuing through outsourced workers engaged by private agencies. “To minimise the impact of the strike on residents, we have deployed contractual sanitation workers across all wards. Efforts are being made to ensure regular waste collection and maintain basic sanitation services in the city despite the ongoing protest,” said Ravinder Yadav, additional commissioner at MCG.
