SHAHJAHANPUR: The strike by municipal sanitation workers continued for the second consecutive day on Thursday after employees had launched the agitation on Wednesday over their pending demands, including issues related to service conditions and alleged neglect of workers’ concerns by the Municipal Corporation.
All employees gathered at the Shahjahanpur Municipal Corporation office at 8 am and staged a protest, demanding the fulfilment of their demands.
The workers alleged that despite repeated representations submitted over the past several days, the civic administration had failed to provide any concrete assurance, prompting them to resort to the strike.
During the protest, the Municipal Commissioner reportedly continued to give verbal assurances, while the striking workers insisted on a written commitment before resuming work.
The two-day strike has resulted in heaps of garbage piling up across the municipal area, causing inconvenience to residents. While the public continues to suffer due to deteriorating sanitation conditions, officials and protesting workers remain firm in their respective positions.
Leading the protest, Pradeep Valmiki said that work would not resume until a written agreement is reached. However, considering the intense summer heat and to prevent the outbreak of diseases, sanitation work will resume as scheduled from Friday as a humanitarian measure.
He warned that if any action is taken that hurts the dignity of sanitation workers, they would again stop work and intensify the protest by dumping garbage at various locations, including outside the residences of officials.
When contacted for his response, the Municipal Commissioner disconnected the call after answering and did not comment on the matter.
Those present during Thursday’s protest included Rajkumar, Amit, Manoj, Ganga, Akash, Anand, Ramesh, Saurabh, Ravi, Nihal, Istar Awad and Pawan. A large number of women workers, including Sushma, Geeta, Reshma, Nandini, Poonam and Rajni, were also present in support of the agitation.