Shahdol municipal sanitation workers protested over unpaid wages

Sanitation workers of the municipal council at the divisional headquarters were angry over non-payment of wages and began an agitation on Saturday, the day of Raksha Bandhan. The workers said they had not received the previous month’s wages and were facing financial hardship at a festival time, which had spoiled their celebrations. Instead of going to work, they gathered in front of the municipal office and went on strike. They demonstrated outside the office and warned that if wages were not paid they would bring work to a complete halt. The workers asked how they could celebrate the festival without money.

After the strike, the city’s cleaning arrangements came to a standstill, with more than 50 sanitation workers having stopped work. A day earlier, the Joint Director of Urban Administration had reviewed the functioning of Shahdol Nagar Palika at a review meeting, in which several shortcomings emerged. Slackness was also found in implementing schemes, and directions were issued.

Sanitation workers’ wages had not been paid for the previous three months because of financial constraints at Shahdol Nagar Palika. Given the shortage of funds, the municipality had begun recovering outstanding revenue in the city, but the workers’ wages had still not been paid, leading them to go on strike. The problem had not yet been resolved and only assurances were being given, so the workers remained at the municipal council office to protest. Efforts to contact the CMO and other responsible officials about the strike drew no response, as officials were avoiding answering. If the problem was not resolved soon, what remained of the city’s cleaning system would also collapse.

Photo of the sanitation workers