Noida Authority’s contract workers have been on a strike for the past six days, demanding permanent jobs, health benefits and preference in the affordable housing schemes of the government. This strike has adversely affected the garbage collection and cleanliness of the residential sectors.
Anywhere between 4,200 to 4,600 workers have been contractually hired by private agencies for various departments of the Authority, such as sanitation, horticulture and others. The Authority is not doing anything to clear the garbage dumps that are now fast mounting on roads and dumps.
Consequently, the worst sufferers of the strike have been the residents. According to RWA members of various sectors, it has almost become a monthly feature for contract workers in the city to go on strikes.
Manoj Kesari, RWA member of Sector 26 told City Spidey that municipal workers often extend these intermittent strikes to seven or ten days without a care for the mounting garbage in residential sectors that become ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes. “Seeing these things our Prime Minister, Chief Minister and MLAs has embarked upon the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan,” he remarked.
Vatsala Parashar, RWA President of Sector 39 said that the Noida Authority is not attending to any complaints of the RWAs. “The condition of the sector has become deplorable now as the garbage from roads and parks has not been cleaned for the last six days,” she added.
Rs Yadav, Project Engineer of Noida Authority told City Spidey that the contractual workers have created a nuisance in the city. “The Noida Authority has already increased their salary. Their current demands shall be fulfilled by the State Government and we are utterly clueless about the date when this strike shall be lifted,” he added.
When City Spidey contacted the RK Mishra, Additional CEO of Noida Authority, he said that the civic body is continuously in touch with the workers who are on strike. “We are hoping that the strike will end soon,” he added.
