Striking employees stage protests at all circles; Home Minister appeals to them to discharge duties

Hyderabad: The strike by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Employees union JAC seeking hike in wages and permanent employment for the outsourced employees has started to affect the sanitation works in the city. The municipal workers registered their protest in all ward offices by raising slogans against the government. Heaps of garbage were spread across the GHMC limits as workers on Monday boycotted the sanitation works in all parts of the city. Protests were held in all ward offices in the GHMC limits on Monday.





On Tuesday the union would hold protests at all circles offices and on Wednesday at all zonal offices, the union leaders said. The union has been demanding minimum wage for sanitary workers be raised from Rs 8,500 to Rs 14,170. And for the skilled workers, they want a hike in minimum wage from Rs 9,500 to Rs 17,380.





A total of nine municipal corporations and 53 municipalities with 40,000 employees are participating in the stir. Apparently annoyed by the stir of the employees, Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao directed Home Minister Naini Narsimha Reddy and Finance Minister Eatala Rajender to talk to them and resolve the issue.





Home Minister appealed to the GHMC JAC to withdraw the strike and discharge duties. Addressing a meeting after holding a discussion along with Minister E Rajender and JAC leaders, the Home Minister said the government would take a decision on their demands. The demands would be put before Chief Minister for a final call on Tuesday, he said. Keeping Ramzan festival in view, the staff of the GHMC should attend their duties to remove garbage before it piled up, he appealed.





Chandrashekar Rao will take a final call on the demands including that of regularisation of outsourcing employees. When asked, Reddy said that the Cabinet had to take a policy decision on regularisation demand of outsourcing staff. But the municipal workers refused to call off the strike till they get a clear time-bound assurance from the Chief Minister. The two Ministers will hold another round of meeting on Tuesday afternoon.





Meanwhile, the AITUC leaders demanded hike in their salaries on par with the permanent employees according to the 10th PRC fitment. They also reminded the Chief Minister that Hyderabad could not be made a world class city without the help of sanitation workers. They further said the GHMC was not even providing proper tools to work.





BMS leader Shanker said that the government was discriminating the municipal workers from others and looking down at them. “Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao who compared us with Gods and saluted us is now ignoring us. We are ready to call off the strike once the government passes a GO on salary hike and permanent employment,” he said. Labour Minister Naini Narasimha Reddy held discussion with them on June 20.

The Municipal Administration Department officials also held talks twice on June 22 and June 23 and sought 10 days time to address their demands. However, there was no response from them so far, he pointed out.AITUC Greater Hyderabad unit extended its support by burning effigy of Chandrashekar Rao at Narayanguda junction. Seven unions, which include CITU, FTU, BMS, HMS, IFTU, AITUC and TSTU served the strike notice on July 7.