RMC staff observe pen down strike

As a mark of protest over their long-pending demands, Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) Employees’ Association on Tuesday observed ‘Pen down Strike’. Protesting workers of the Employees’ Association said that despite making several attempts to reach out to the Administrative Heads in the past, none of them paid attention towards their demands ever.

According to the protesting workers, demands ranging from release of pensions of 25 employees to giving approval to release monthly payment in accordance to the seventh pay commission have been discussed several times with the concerned officials but only assurance was given to the employees.

During the protest, the members of the Employees’ Association have put serious allegation of misconduct on the City Managers who have been inducted in RMC for monitoring government projects status ensuring uniform urban growth and expansion.

As many as 240 permanent employees of RMC observed a day long ‘Pen down strike’ bringing the regular service at halt. As per the record of the Municipal Corporation there are around 300 permanent employees in RMC lending their services in various departments.

President, RMC Employees’ Association, Naresh Ram said, “We have given a written requisition to the Municipal Commissioner, he has assured us that apt decision will be made considering our demands. Since the Town Commissioner is out of the Station for a few days, we have to wait for some time to get our demands approved. The support of all the permanent employees of the Municipal Corporation is with the association.”

Clarifying his stance over the long pending demands, Ram stated that at present each permanent employee of ULBs is receiving monthly wage in accordance to the sixth commission pay grade scale, if the State government can cover nearly 20,000 employees under the seventh pay commission then all 3000 employees associated with different ULBs must also get the benefits of seventh pay commission.

On the issue of City Managers, Ram further said, “City Managers have been employed on contractual basis by the Department of Urban Development, Housing and Planning and their prime job is to observe the status of all schemes that are being implemented but their unnecessary intervention in internal work have compelled us to register our protest against them. City Managers do not have the rights to interfere in records, accounts and maintenance/ establishment section.”

A protesting employee said that there were several circumstances when the City Managers have misbehaved with them. “Despite being a permanent employee of one of the biggest Urban Local Body (ULB), we are treated like an outsider. Unnecessary intervention of these contractual employees creates hindrance in our daily duty. There intervention can lead to unsafe consequences as they have access to several important documents,” said a protesting employee.