Siliguri, Sept. 29 -- With Durga Puja approaching, Siliguri may face a build-up of garbage across the city as more than 500 sanitation workers launched an indefinite cease-work on Tuesday over several demands, including permanent employment and a salary hike.
The sanitation workers, affiliated with the North Bengal Safai Karmachari Kalyan Sangathan, took out a protest rally from Baghajatin Park on Tuesday. The rally passed through Hill Cart Road before returning to Baghajatin Park.
The organisation has demanded the immediate regularisation of sanitation workers, an increase in salaries, medical facilities, government allowances and other benefits.
The workers claimed that despite working for several years, their salaries have not been increased, making it difficult for them to support their families on their existing wages.
Sunny Routh, Darjeeling district secretary of the organisation said: "Our salaries have not increased for the past 10 years. We have raised these demands several times in the past, following which meetings were also held with officials of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation. However, none of our demands have been fulfilled.
Therefore, we have been forced to stop work. The strike will continue until our demands are fulfilled."
With the indefinite cease work coming just ahead of Durga Puja, concerns have been raised over garbage accumulation across Siliguri and a possible increase in the risk of mosquito-borne diseases. No reaction was received from the Siliguri Municipal Corporation regarding the strike.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.