Sanitation workers, who have been on strike since October 23, have decided to continue their protests on Diwali as their demands for regularisation, arrears and medical insurance have not been fulfilled.
The municipal employees held protests in East Delhi on Monday, with one group protesting outside the office of Aam Aadmi Party’s Krishna Nagar MLA S.K. Bagga.
“The corporations say they have no money to pay us, many of us haven’t been paid our salaries for two months now. The Delhi Government is yet to transfer funds to the corporations so we have decided to protest against the MLAs,” said Sanjay Gehlot, the president of the Swatantra Mazdoor Vikas Sanyukt Morcha.
He added that the workers would protest against Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel on Tuesday, before celebrating a “black Diwali”.
“Our dharnas outside the East Delhi Municipal Corporation headquarters and the Jhilmil depot will continue on Diwali. We have been forced to sit around piles of garage even on Diwali,” said Mr. Gehlot.
Another group of workers burnt an effigy of EDMC Mayor Harsh Deep Malhotra on Monday.
“We will have protests on Diwali as well. How can we celebrate when we are finding it difficult to run our homes and put food on the table for our families,” asked Rajendra Mewati, the general secretary of the United Front of MCD Employees.
Workers to protest against Delhi Assembly Speaker over their various demands
