Sewermen, sweepers wait for regular jobs

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, April 11

Hundreds of sewermen, safai karamcharis and other sanitation workers working on a contractual basis have been waiting for government’s attention for a long time as their jobs have not been regularised despite their repeated demands.

These employees of the Municipal Corporation (MC), Ludhiana, said they were given assurance ahead of 2017 state Assembly elections that their jobs will be regularised soon but nothing has been done till date. Members of different employees unions have also raised the demand for regularisation of jobs of the sanitation workers before the government.

A contractual sewerman said: “I have been working with the MC, Ludhiana, for more than 10 years. Before the 2017 Assembly elections, it was announced that the jobs of contractual sewermen will be regularised soon. We are still waiting for the same.”

He said: “We work under tough and risky conditions. A number of sewermen have suffered due to poisonous gases in sewer chambers. Even some of them had died while cleaning the chambers in the past. Our salary is low. At present, we are getting around Rs 9,400 per month. Our jobs must be regularised and salaries should be increased as it is difficult to run families with the low income.”

A contractual safai karamchari said: “I have also been working with the MC, Ludhiana, for a long period. There are many contractual workers whose services have not been regularised by the government. Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, we worked without any hesitation and performed our duty with dedication. When promises are made with us before the elections, these should also be fulfilled. The government should regularise the services of the contractual workers without any delay.”

Ashwani Sahota, chairman of the Municipal Employees Sangharsh Committee, Ludhiana, said: “We have raised the demand from the government authorities to regularise the services of contractual workers. There are over 2,000 contractual workers who are waiting for regularisation of jobs. We want from the government to fulfill their demand at the earliest.”