Sanitation workers end strike after Shimla civic body restores 10% annual salary hike

Shimla Municipal Corporation accepted sanitation workers' demands, agreeing to restore a 10% annual salary hike, pay scale benefits, and reinstating 41 employees who were removed during a week-long strike.

Sanitation workers under the Shimla Environment Heritage Conservation and Beautification Society on Thursday ended their week-long strike after the Shimla Municipal Corporation accepted their demand to restore the 10 per cent annual salary hike provision.

The decision was taken following a meeting of Shimla Mayor Surender Chauhan, Deputy Mayor Uma Kaushal, representatives of the Shimla Environment Heritage Conservation and Beautification (SEHB) Society and members of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).

At the meeting, the civic body agreed in writing to restore the 10 per cent annual salary increment and extend the 4-9-14 pay scale benefits to all sanitation workers.

The agreement also included the restoration of 15 days of special leave and the reinstatement of 41 SEHB employees who had been removed from service during the strike period.

Mayor Chauhan said that several rounds of discussions had taken place over the past few days, and all the pending issues were resolved at Thursday's meeting.

SEHB Workers' Union president Jaswant Singh said that the strike was withdrawn after receiving a written assurance from the corporation.

He said that while a formal approval would be taken during the AGM scheduled for June 4, the workers would resume duties from Friday onwards.

Hundreds of sanitation workers responsible for door-to-door garbage collection in the state capital went on an indefinite strike after the corporation decided to abolish the 10 per cent annual salary hike provision, significantly affecting cleanliness in Shimla.