Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 18: Entire Jammu city turned into a garbage dump today as Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) workers including Safai Karamcharis went on strike in support of their demands.
Municipal workers under the banner of Civic Safai Karamchari Union (CSKU), Jammu Municipal Clerks Union and Jammu Municipal Drivers’ Union (JMDU) went on indefinite strike this morning after the 72 hour deadline given to authorities by the workers ended.
However, the JMC administration has made an appeal to the workers to resume the work as all their genuine demands have already been settled while some are lying in Finance Department at Civil Secretariat.
The workers forced all Corporation offices in the city to shut down and warned of further protests if their demands were not addressed.
“This protest will go on till our demands are met,” said CSKU president Rinku Gill.
“Earlier there were 23 wards in Jammu with 1,056 workers, but today the number of wards has increased to 71. We have been demanding increase in staff strength and Departmental Promotion Committees (DPC) for all cadres” he added.
“Temporary daily labourers at present are being paid Rs 2,100 per month, while monthly wages set by the Government is Rs 4,500,” he said.
Rohit George president Clerical Union said last month they had observed strike and on the assurance of Commissioner JMC that the demands will be settled within one month, the strike was suspended. But after the expiry of one month on July 16, nothing was done and the Unions gave 72 hour ultimatum which ended this morning and workers resorted to indefinite strike.
JMDU president Mohammed Unis alleged the administration has only given them false assurances and has not paid any heed to their demands.
“We have been asking for setting up of DPC for some time now, but have only got assurances. The issue of making contractual drivers permanent is also pending,” he added.
With the strike of Safai Karamcharis entire city has been turned into a ghetto with heaps of garbage lying scattered at every where including busy Jewel Chowk, Dogra Chowk, Residency Road, Indira Chowk, Parade, Satwari, Gandhi Nagar etc.
The drains which are filled with garbage and filth have also chocked in Jewel and other areas of the city with accumulated drainage water running on roadside adding to the insanitation.
A dead dog has been thrown on road at B C Road Ambphalla while some dead animals are lying on Akhnoor road near Muthi. People apprehend that if this situation will persist for another one are two days the epidemic can grip the entire Jammu city.
The Municipal workers are demanding reorganization of JMC, DPC for all cadres, regularization of contractual employees, enhancement of wages of NGO based Safai Karamcharis and causal Safai Karamcharis and regularization of TDL employees.
They have warned to continue the strike till demand is settled.
When contacted the JMC Commissioner, Kuldeep Khajuria said that out of nine demands five are genuine and they have been accepted in principal. He said the DPC will be convened on July 24 and re-organization issue is lying with Finance Department in Civil Secretariat. The Union leaders should pursue it there. He said already the workers were given two and half days extra pay and appointments of 35 workers were made under SRO 43.
Expressing hope that the issue will be settled amicably with the workers, Mr Khajuria said that he held a meeting with them this afternoon soon after his return from Srinagar and tomorrow morning he is again meeting the representatives of workers to find an amicable solution to the issue.
On the regularization issue, he said that there is a Government circular that after the completion of seven years service an employee will be automatically regularized.
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