Tens of thousands of employees of municipal corporations and municipalities across the state observed a day’s strike on the call of Tekniki Adhikari Karamchari Sangh and Madhya Pradesh Nagar Nigam Karamchari Sangh, on Tuesday. Accordingly, all departments at Jabalpur Municipal Corporation headquarters and divisional offices were remained closed in support of the strike. The Union leaders, Ram Dubey, K K Dubey, Kapil Dubey and others have said that the employees were on strike against non-fulfillment of their long-pending 16 basic demands. Highlighting some of the key demands, they said employee unions have been demanding regularization of daily wagers who have been working for almost three decades in various municipal bodies, the regularization of nearly 190 community organizations that have been working for 30 years in various municipalities and regularization of class third and fourth employees in various Municipal Corporations and Municipalities.

 

Other demands include timely payment of salaries, an increase in the daily wage rate etc. The employees are also demanding provision of benefits such as medical facilities, housing and transport, as well as the filling of vacant posts in the municipalities. Meanwhile the Union leaders have warned that if their demands are not met soon, they will go on an indefinite strike which will also disrupt the provision of water supply and sanitation services in the city, for which the JMC administration and government will be fully responsible. The strike has caused inconvenience to the people as the provision of municipal services affected in various municipal bodies including Jabalpur, Bhedaghat, Nagar Nigam Nagar Panagar, Barela, Shahpura, Patan, Majholi, Katangi Municipal Council etc.