Contract Sanitation Workers End Strike in Seraikela After Assurance

Administrator promises resolution; workers warn of hunger strike if demands are unmet.

Key Points:

• Seraikela sanitation workers called off strike after administrator’s assurance.
• Key demands include pending wages, regular pay, and minimum wages.
• Workers threaten hunger strike if issues are not resolved promptly.

Seraikela – Contract sanitation workers in Seraikela Nagar Panchayat ended their indefinite strike following assurances from the administrator to address their demands. The intervention of MLA representative Sanand Kumar Acharya played a crucial role in mediating the discussions.

Workers’ Demands and Protest

Fifty-five sanitation workers had been on strike since Friday, demanding clearance of pending wages, regular salary payments, and adherence to minimum wage standards. Their protest had disrupted cleaning operations across the Nagar Panchayat area.

Sanitation worker Babban Rai stated, “If our demands are not met soon, we will go on an indefinite hunger strike.”

Role of Mediation

Sanand Kumar Acharya, the MLA representative, highlighted the urgency of resolving the issue to prevent a sanitation crisis in the area. Acharya informed local MLA and former Chief Minister Champai Soren about the situation. Under his guidance, the workers’ demands were presented to the Nagar Panchayat administrator, Shashi Shekhar Suman.

Assurance from the Administration

Administrator Shashi Shekhar Suman assured the workers that all discrepancies would be resolved at the earliest. He committed to ensuring timely payment of wages and addressing the workers’ other grievances. Following this assurance, the strike was called off.

However, workers have made it clear that if promises are not fulfilled, they will escalate their protest through a hunger strike.