The Hindu Bureau

The strike by domestic breeding checkers (DBC) and multi-tasking staff (MTS) of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) entered its tenth consecutive day on Wednesday with workers marching from Rajghat to Delhi Secretariat, demanding a meeting with Chief Minister Rekha Gupta to press for their long-pending demands.

However, workers said they were left “deeply disappointed” after the Chief Minister did not meet them. The protest has seen over 5,200 workers from the Public Health Department on an indefinite strike. Their key demands include regularisation of services, equal and standardised pay, medical and earned leave, and compensatory jobs for the families of deceased employees.

“Even though the Chief Minister was present in the Secretariat, she did not give us even two minutes to listen to our demands. This was a very painful moment for the employees,” said Devanand Sharma, general secretary of the Anti-Malaria Ekta Karmachari Union.

He added that the protest would continue until the government takes action. “Our strike will not end until the Commissioner or the government passes an administrative order accepting our demands,” Mr. Sharma said.

Pay disparity

A major point of contention is the unequal pay structure across MCD zones. While workers in six of the 20 zones receive ₹27,000 per month, those in other zones are paid only ₹17,000 to ₹19,000, in line with minimum wage standards. 
“We have been working in the same roles for years, doing identical work across the city, yet there is no uniformity in our pay. This inequality is one of our main demands, and we will not accept vague assurances anymore,” Mr. Sharma said.