Himachal Pradesh News
Shimla Sanitation Workers Announce Indefinite Strike Over Salary Hike Dispute
Shimla may soon face a major cleanliness crisis as sanitation workers have announced an indefinite strike starting May 15 against the Municipal Corporation’s decision to abolish the annual 10% salary increment.
Shimla may soon face a major cleanliness crisis as sanitation workers have announced an indefinite strike starting May 15 against the Municipal Corporation’s decision to abolish the annual 10% salary increment.
The decision was taken during a union meeting of the Shimla Environment, Heritage Conservation and Beautification (SEHB) Society, which is affiliated with the Centre of Indian Trade Unions. The meeting witnessed participation from garbage collectors, road-sweeping staff, supervisors and several other sanitation workers responsible for maintaining cleanliness in the hill town.
According to union leaders, the Municipal Corporation’s move to replace the annual 10% increment with only a 3% dearness allowance (DA) has triggered strong resentment among workers. They claim the new arrangement will significantly reduce their future earnings and increase financial pressure on employees already dealing with heavy workloads.
CITU state president Vijendra Mehra criticized the civic body’s decision and described it as “dictatorial.” He stated that sanitation workers could face monthly losses ranging between Rs 700 and Rs 1,000 due to the revised salary structure.
Workers Allege Rising Workload, Falling Benefits
Union representatives alleged that while the Municipal Corporation continues to increase garbage collection fees, water charges and property taxes every year, sanitation workers are not receiving proportional financial benefits.
They further claimed that the workload on sanitation staff has increased drastically over the past few years. Earlier, a worker reportedly managed waste collection from around 80 households, but the number has now increased to nearly 300 households per worker.
Despite the increased workload, workers allege that the corporation has chosen to cut financial benefits instead of improving salaries or hiring additional staff.
The union also raised concerns over the alleged spending priorities of the corporation. Leaders claimed that nearly Rs 2.5 crore was spent on QR code implementation, an amount they believe could have been used to recruit around 150 additional sanitation workers and reduce pressure on existing employees.
City Cleanliness Likely To Be Affected
Union leaders warned that sanitation workers will completely stop work during the strike period if the decision is not reversed. The proposed strike is expected to impact door-to-door garbage collection, road cleaning and other sanitation services across Shimla.
With thousands of residents depending on regular waste collection services, the indefinite strike could create serious cleanliness and public hygiene challenges in the city if talks between workers and the Municipal Corporation fail to resolve the dispute before May 15.
