Bhubaneswar: Despite getting assurance from Mayor Sulochana Das on pay hike on Tuesday, the sanitation workers on Wednesday morning were seen protesting for the third day.
However, the sanitation workers withdrew their stir after the Mayor had a meeting with their association and agreed to their demands.
According to sources, Mayor Sulochana Das called a meeting at her residence after sanitation workers did not resume work on Wednesday morning. Talks between both parties yielded positive results and the outfit of sanitation workers decided to end their cease-work protest.
Meanwhile, the sanitation workers’ association threatened to re-launch their agitation if the government failed to meet their demands within two days.
Upon being asked the reason behind not joining work despite the state government giving assurance to hike their salary on Tuesday, Mayor Das said, “The protesting sanitation workers had doubt that had the code of conduct been declared, the state government wouldn’t declare their pay hike. However, they are now convinced that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will give good news soon. After being assured, they have resumed work today.”
Sanitation workers were protesting over salary hike among other demands at Rajmahal Square for the last three days. Their demands included an increase in their salary to Rs 15,000 and the appointment of separate people to segregate the dry waste from wet waste. Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has sought 15 days to take a call on waste segregation.
One of the protesting sanitation workers said, “We have resumed duty today on condition that the state government will fulfil our demands within two days. If the government fails to do so within the stipulated time, we will again launch the stir on the third day.”
It is pertinent to mention that the sanitation workers earlier staged a protest over the non-fulfilment of their demands on February 24. However, their discussion with the BMC yielded no results on February 29. The state government’s delay in fulfilling their demands prompted them to launch an indefinite cease-work strike.”
