CITU’s Himachal Pradesh committee has condemned the SEHB Society’s decision to scrap the 10% annual wage increment for sanitation workers in Shimla, warning of an agitation and possible strike against the move which will cause a significant monthly wage loss.
CITU Condemns Wage Hike Discontinuation
The Himachal Pradesh state committee of Centre of Indian Trade Unions on Saturday strongly condemned the decision taken in the SEHB Society’s Annual General Meeting to discontinue the 10 per cent annual wage increment for sanitation workers, warning of an agitation against the move.
In a press release, Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) state president Vijender Mehra said the replacement of the 10 per cent annual increment with a mere three per cent Dearness Allowance will result in a monthly loss of Rs 700 to Rs 1,000 for each worker in the coming period, which is completely unjustified. “We have called upon SEHB workers to prepare for a decisive movement against this anti-worker decision, and soon a union meeting will be convened to finalise the roadmap, with the possibility of a strike in the near future,” he said.
Municipal Corporation Accused of Anti-Worker Policies
CITU leaders, including district treasurer Balak Ram, district secretary Ramakant Mishra and Vivek Kashyap, alleged that the Shimla Municipal Corporation was pursuing anti-worker policies.
Increased Workload and Misused Funds
Mehra said, “While garbage collection charges for the public are being increased by 10 per cent every year, the funds are not being utilised for the welfare of SEHB workers who perform extremely difficult duties, and instead are being wasted by municipal authorities.”
He added, “The workload on SEHB workers has increased fourfold in recent years, with the number of households assigned rising from 80 to nearly 300, yet instead of increasing wages, the 10 per cent annual increment has been scrapped and replaced with a three per cent DA, which is inconsistent and unacceptable. This DA should have been provided in addition to the annual increment.”
Mehra said the Municipal Corporation has unnecessarily spent Rs 2.5 crore on QR code systems, which could have been used to employ around 150 additional workers and reduce the burden on existing staff. “Instead of merely raising the Diwali bonus from Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000, the authorities could have implemented the provisions of the Bonus Act, 1965, which would have ensured nearly eight times higher benefits for workers.”
Poor Working Conditions and Labour Law Violations
On working conditions, Mehra said the announcement of seven annual leaves is far below the legally mandated 39 days and is misleading. “Workers are not being paid for overtime, extra duties, or even granted proper leave, indicating a complete violation of labour laws by the Municipal Corporation.”
Union Welcomes Certain Decisions
However, he welcomed certain decisions. “We welcome the provision of a matching grant of Rs 2 lakh for the SEHB welfare fund and the merger of outsourced workers into the SEHB Society, which is a significant victory under our 32-point charter of demands.” (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)