Nagpur: Around 2,638 employees of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) resorted to one-day ‘home quarantine’ strike to press for implementation of 7th Pay Commission.
The state government is yet to approve their demand despite the state assembly speaker Nana Patole issuing directives to that effect eight months ago.
Surendra Tingane, president of Rashtriya Nagpur Corporation Employees Association (which is the only registered union in the civi body), told TOI, “Our ‘home quarantine’ stir seeking implementation of 7th pay commission recommendations was a grand success. As many as 2,638 employees, who had applied for leave, were in ‘home quarantine’ on Wednesday. We excluded 6,012 sanitary workers, firemen and those on Covid-19 duty from our stir. Those on duty worked wearing black badges.”
A delegation of the union also met municipal commissioner Radhakrishnan B and collector Ravindra Thakare to forward their memorandum to the government.
Apart from essential works like solid waste management, Covid-19 service, fire and other essential services, all works at the civic body were affected because of the stir.
Tingane said the employees will continue the agitation in phased manner if the government failed to approve the demand. “NMC had passed a resolution and accepted to pay salaries as per 7th Pay Commission. Following Patole’s intervention, government had directed the NMC to give presentation on its financial condition, which was done in February. Patole had directed the officials to approve the demand in February itself,” he said.
Tingane also said the state government has already accepted the same demand in many other municipal corporations. The NMC employees decided to protest after government last month okayed to implement the 7th pay panel recommendation in Chandrapur Municipal Corporation, but not in Nagpur.
The government has kept pending the NMC’s proposal as it does not fit in the existing norms. The NMC’s administrative expenses are over 50% and it should be below 35% for allowing hike in salaries of employees or new recruitment.
The 7th Pay Commission is due since January 1, 2016. ON the other hand, NMC employees are yet to get arrears of the 6th Pay Commission, with was implemented with effect from January 1, 2006 to November 30, 2010.