Bhagalpur: The four-day strike by sanitation workers of the Bhagalpur Municipal Corporation has come to an end after all their demands were accepted in a high-level meeting chaired by Mayor Dr. Vasundhara Lal. The workers had been on strike since April 17, bringing the city’s waste management system to a standstill.
A tripartite agreement was signed between the Mayor, Municipal Commissioner, and representatives of the Bihar State Safai Mazdoor Sangh on Sunday. Key union leaders including State President Ganpat Ram, District President Rajesh Hari, Pramod Hari, Shaikhar Ram, and Ajay Anand participated in the discussions.
Following the agreement, sanitation workers celebrated the victory by smearing each other with abir and gulal, expressing relief and joy at the resolution.
Highlights of the Agreement:
- Fixed remuneration to be paid by the Labor Resources Department starting 2024.
- Pending wage differences from October 2024 will be cleared.
- Full wage payment for the four days of the strike.
- No disciplinary action will be taken against any striking worker.
- EPF dues for 21 months to be updated within three days.
- ESI contributions to be paid by the cleaning agency.
- Pay-slips will be issued regularly by the agency.
- Special leave provisions for women employees.
- Monthly wages will be paid by the 7th of every month.
Mayor Dr. Vasundhara Lal assured that normal cleaning operations across Bhagalpur will resume from April 22. “We are committed to ensuring the welfare of sanitation workers and maintaining a clean city,” she said.
The swift resolution and acceptance of all demands has been seen as a significant victory for the sanitation workers, who had staged the strike to demand long-pending dues, better working conditions, and social security benefits.
The strike had drawn concern from citizens as garbage began piling up across the city over the past four days. With the agreement in place, authorities expect the city’s cleanliness services to return to normalcy immediately.
