EDMC workers protests outside Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal's residence over non-payment of salary

The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) workers on Thursday staged a protest near Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence as a part of their ongoing strike.

Arvind Kejriwal accused the BJP of misleading the workers and said that he is worried about the workers and sanitation arrangements. 

Kejriwal took to Twitter saying that the workers have to protest every two months to get their salaries. 

दिल्ली की सफ़ाई व्यवस्था को लेकर मैं बेहद चिंतित हूँ। भाजपा की केंद्र और MCD की सरकारों ने दिल्ली की सफ़ाई व्यवस्था को पूरी तरह अस्त व्यस्त कर दिया है

मैं अपने सफ़ाई कर्मचारियों को लेकर भी बेहद चिंतित हूँ। हर दो महीनों में इनको अपनी तनख़्वाह लेने के लिए हड़ताल करनी पड़ती है https://t.co/8OhN8NqsMf

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) October 4, 2018

"Sanitation workers are protesting outside my residence. BJP has misled them. I am going to talk to them and present facts before them. I am really worried about the sanitation arrangements in the city and the workers. They have to protest every two months to get their salaries," Kejriwal tweeted.

The Delhi government had on Wednesday agreed to release 500 crores to municipal corporations to be used to pay off pending salaries to sanitation workers. The workers have been on strike since September 12 over non-payment of wages.

The Supreme Court asked the Centre if it can contribute an equal share of the amount in favor of the municipal corporations. 

A senior official said a meeting was underway between the east Delhi Mayor and a sanitation union leader to resolve the issue.

"Sanitation workers are protesting outside CM's residence. There has been no instance of violence between protesters and police," another official said.

The EDMC has around 16,000 workers, half of whom are permanent employees.

The BJP-led EDMC on September 26 had decided to begin the process for permanent employment of contractual sanitation workers who were recruited after March 31, 1998.

The president of MCD Swachhata Karmchari Union, Sanjay Gahlot, however, had said that since, there was no assurance of this resolution reaching its desired end from the authorities side, they would continue their agitation in east Delhi.

Earlier in September, the Delhi HC had pulled up the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi for not disbursing funds for the salaries as per the recommendations of the fourth Delhi Finance Commission (DFC). The HC had said that poor workers were suffering "as politicians were fighting among themselves" for their "pound of flesh".

Hearing a batch of writ petitions seeking adequate funds to the three municipal corporations to enable their proper functioning, HC had said: "You (Delhi government) could have said let the payments be made till the legal issues are settled. But you want your pound of flesh." 

"The poor employees are working unpaid without bread and butter as the politicians fight among themselves. Our concern is for the poor workers," the court had said. 

The HC had not given any directions to the AAP government then and had listed the matter for hearing on October 25 as the Supreme Court is hearing the Delhi government's appeal against the HC's April 16 and May 21 orders over the implementation of the fourth DFC recommendations.

(With Agency Inputs)