HT Correspondent
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SIVASAGAR, Nov 23:Â The daily wage workers affiliated with the Sivasagar Municipality Board (SMB) are persisting in their strike, advocating for a pay increase and job regularisation. Despite a temporary pause to address the accumulation of garbage on Thursday, the Safai workers express their commitment to their cause, citing concerns about irregular pay and insufficient recognition compared to their counterparts in other districts.
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Neilash Basfore, the leader of the Safai workers, conveyed to this correspondent that their demonstration includes cleaning up accumulated garbage in the town, emphasising their concern for the well-being of the townspeople and school-going students. However, the workers remain resolute in their strike, expressing dissatisfaction with the perceived indifference from the SMB and the district administration.
Basfore pointed out the disparity in treatment, highlighting that Safai workers in Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Jorhat, and Golaghat enjoy permanent positions with regular pay and retirement benefits. In contrast, Sivasagar workers receive lower and irregular payments. The Safai workers plan to continue their protest in front of the SMB Bhawan.
Aditya Vikram Yadav, the district commissioner, acknowledged the wage increase from Rs 9,000 to Rs 12,000 a few months ago, emphasising the administration’s efforts to extend government beneficiary schemes to improve workers’ living standards. He expressed concerns about external influences inciting the agitation and noted the SMB’s financial constraints in meeting the workers’ demands.
Mrinalee Konwar, chairperson of SMB, clarified that the regularisation of daily wage workers’ positions is not feasible due to a government notification in 2013 prohibiting such regularisations. She highlighted the creation of regular posts in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia before the stipulated period, contributing to the differences in the status of Safai workers in those districts compared to Sivasagar.
