Over 8,000 Jaipur sanitation staff will go on strike from today

JAIPUR: Over 8,000 sanitation workers of both the municipal corporations will go on strike from Wednesday, sanitation workers' union announced on Tuesday.
The union is demanding 100% reservation for Valmiki Samaj in recruitment of cleaning staff, appointment of 4,500 workers, giving jobs to dependents in case of medical issues.
On Tuesday, around 200-300 sanitation workers from different zones of the city gathered at JMC-Greater and conducted a meeting to decide on the timings of the protest. Announcing the agitation, the Sanyukt Valmiki Evam Safai Shramik Sangh has asked all employees to go to their respective wards and demonstrate at their respective locations regarding different demands.
"We have been raising our problems with the authorities since several months but no action has been taken. Now we have decided to go on strike. All sanitation staff will gather at JMC-Heritage office on Wednesday and from there, the next course of action will be decided. We have demanded that 4,500 workers, who were hired on contract in 2018 but were removed later, must be rehired. If a staff is suffering from a serious illness after the age of 45, then a dependent from his family should be given a job. This system is already in place in a few other states. If our demands are not met, then our strike will continue," said Nandkishore Dandoria, president of Sanyukt Valmiki Evam Safai Shramik Sangh.
As part of the strike, door-to-door waste collection vehicles will also not ply on Wednesday.
The sanitation staff have also demanded timely payment of gratuity, provident fund to the retired sweepers and the relatives of the deceased employees along with making of RGHS cards for the cleaning staff.