Siliguri civic workers end cease work -if no visible initiative is taken on our demands by February 23, we may resume cease work from the next day

These past four days, garbage collection had stopped across the city as over 2,500 staff had gone on strike over demands such as permanent jobs and pay hike

Heaps of garbage on Station Feeder Road in Siliguri on Friday.: Passang Yolmo

TT   |   Siliguri   |   21.02.21  : Conservancy workers of Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) withdrew their cease work on Saturday and will resume work from Sunday.

These past four days, collection and disposal of garbage had stopped across the city as over 2,500 workers had ceased work over demands such as permanent jobs and pay hike. On Saturday, the stalemate ended after a meeting with tourism minister Gautam Deb.

Deb said he would take up the demands with municipal affairs minister Firhad Hakim.

Kiran Rauth, president of Uttarbanga Safai Karmachari Samiti, said after the meeting with Deb, it was decided that workers will join their duties from Sunday. “However, we have made it clear that if no visible initiative is taken on our demands by February 23, we may resume cease work from the next day,” he said.

Asok Bhattacharya, chairman of the board of administrators at SMC, on Saturday held a meeting with representatives of Citu, Intuc and INTTUC backed unions of civic employees and workers at SMC. “At the meeting, it was decided that workers’ wages will be increased by 10 per cent, effective from the current month,” said a source.