Contractual sanitation workers in Noida go on strike

The workers engaged by the Noida Authority said they would strike work in the coming days and also threatened to convert their religion if their demands are not met. Top Noida Authority officials, however, said the services will continue as per prevalent norms and claimed that the workers were being “misled by a few of their leaders who are provoking the action to avoid the new attendance system”.

Scores of contractual sanitation workers in Noida on Tuesday staged a sit-in protest against the contract system and demanded an equal pay at par with permanent employees. The workers engaged by the Noida Authority said they would strike work in the coming days and also threatened to convert their religion if their demands are not met.

Top Noida Authority officials, however, said the services will continue as per prevalent norms and claimed that the workers were being "misled by a few of their leaders who are provoking the action to avoid the new attendance system". Sitting outside the Authority's office in Sector 6, the protestors said they have two main demands -- sanitation work should not be done on contract basis and salaries of workers should be equal, whether contractual or permanent. "We all do the same work, it should not be that somebody gets Rs 18,000 and some get Rs 11,000 for the same job," one of the protestors said.

Another protestor claimed that their representatives have spoken to the Noida Authority officers who have not budged. "If our demands are not met, we will continue to strike work and further we will convert our religion on October 3," the protestor threatened. Noida Authority CEO Ritu Maheshwari said officials have already spoken many times to the workers over the issue and made it clear that their services within the Authority will be as per prevalent norms only.

"To avoid attendance, a few leaders are misleading others and provoking them for issuing such religious threats. We have written to the police to lodge an FIR so that strict action is taken against them," Maheshwari told PTI. She said wages of the workers who are not working would be deducted and those "leaders" who are working in the Authority but provoking others are being removed.

She said action would also be taken against "non-performing contractors". "Around 1,500 of the 4,100 employees turned up for work on Tuesday. Those who are threatening others will be removed. They are misguiding sincere sanitation workers," she said.

Maheshwari also confirmed that the Authority's new mobile app system for logging attendance will stay in place to ensure genuine attendance by workers and officials. "Of course (the new attendance system will stay) and it has been planned for all workers, including those in the water and horticulture department, from the next month," she added. According to officials, the new mobile app-based system replaces the biometric system amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The new system has been a bone of contention for a section of workers, they said.