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Mohali civic staff launch indefinite protest, seek regularisation, Rs 26k minimum wage
The protest, led by the Safai Sewak Mazdoor Union (Mohali), will continue “until the Punjab government accepts our demands”, the union leaders said.
Among the key demands is the regularisation of sanitation workers recruited in 2021 and the abolition of the contractor-driven outsourcing model. (Representational image)
Mohali’s municipal employees under the banner of the Municipal Employees Action Committee, Wednesday, began an indefinite protest outside the Mohali Municipal Corporation office, pressing for regularisation of workers and an end to the outsourcing system.
The protest, led by the Safai Sewak Mazdoor Union (Mohali), will continue “until the Punjab government accepts our demands”, the union leaders said.
Among the key demands is the regularisation of sanitation workers recruited in 2021 and the abolition of the contractor-driven outsourcing model. The employees alleged that the government has failed to act despite submitting the memorandums for over four-and-a-half years. The union representatives said, “The dharna will continue till our demands are met. This is an anti-employee government that has ignored us despite repeated appeals.”
The protesters targeted Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and said, “The CM has consistently made false promises. Nothing has materialised on the ground.”
They also pointed out that most sanitation workers earn around Rs 10,000 per month, which they said is insufficient in the current inflationary climate. “In today’s times, even maintaining a pet can cost Rs 500 a day. You can imagine the condition of sanitation workers trying to run households on such low wages,” a speaker said during the protest.
The union has demanded that the minimum wage for sanitation workers be fixed at Rs 26,000 per month. It also flagged the lack of permanent recruitment, stating that no regular appointments for Class IV employees were made in the Municipal Corporation since 1993.
“We demand unconditional regularisation of sanitation workers and sewer men. If the government fails to act, the protest will be intensified in the coming days,” the union warned.
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Appealing to the media for support, union leaders also urged wider coverage of their demands, saying the issue concerns the dignity and livelihood of essential civic workers.
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