Thousands of sanitation employees of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) went on an indefinite strike on Friday demanding their regularisation and payment of pending salaries and bonus ahead of Diwali. ????

They said the strike will continue until their demands are met. President, MCD Safai Karmachari Union, Sant Lal Chawariya said there are more than 15,000 sanitation workers who have been waiting for their regularisation for the last 20-25 years.?? ???

He said that sanitation employees have also not got their bonus for the last three years and their one month salary is pending. “The festival of Diwali is round the corner but they don't have money to celebrate it. They are neither getting timely payments nor they are being regularised. This has to stop. So we have decided to go on an indefinite strike from today (Friday),” Chawariya told PTI. ????

He added that from today sanitation employees deployed in the MCD will stop sweeping streets, lifting garbage and other works. He also said that previously many assurances were given to regularise them but nothing happened. “So now we will not end our strike until all our demands are met. Mere assurances will not work anymore,” he said.

(With PTI inputs)