Chandigarh, August 22: The Haryana Government has expressed sympathy and consideration towards the demands of sanitation workers and fire service employees and has given in-principle approval to most of their demands.
In this regard, the Municipal Employees’ Union, Haryana, and the Fire Employees’ Union have been informed that the government has agreed in principle to their demands, which mainly include:
Uniform allowance: ₹440 per month, to be paid along with salary.
Equal pay for equal work and arrears: Payment has already been made to eligible employees.
LTC benefit: The benefit is being provided.
Minimum wages: In-principle approval to pay minimum wages as determined under the Minimum Wages Act.
Employees’ State Insurance (ESI): In-principle approval to extend the benefit to eligible employees.
Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF): In-principle approval to extend the benefit to eligible employees.
Risk allowance: In-principle approval to provide ₹2,000 per month risk allowance to sanitation workers.
Compassionate assistance: In-principle approval to increase the amount from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh.
Accident insurance: In-principle approval for ₹50 lakh in case of death and ₹25 lakh in case of permanent disability.
PM-JAY: In-principle approval to include eligible employees working on municipal rolls and their daily-wage workers under the scheme.
Leave: In-principle approval for 20 days of earned leave and 20 days of casual leave.
Promotion: In-principle approval for providing a provision for promotion of sanitation workers and sewer-men to clerical (Group-C) posts.
The main issue under discussion is the regularisation of sanitation workers and fire service employees working on municipal rolls. The government is seeking legal opinion on the matter.
The government is prepared to bring these employees under the ambit of the Haryana Contractual Employees (Service Security) Act, 2024, so that they can receive benefits at par with regular employees. The government is also prepared to ensure job security up to the age of 60 years for these employees.
Going a step further, the government is also considering providing an additional 15 per cent amount over and above the minimum salary applicable to these employees. At present, sanitation workers working on municipal rolls receive ₹19,000 per month, which the government has considered increasing to ₹21,000 per month.
Under the Haryana Contractual Employees (Service Security) Act, 2024, the government has also agreed in principle to extend several other benefits to these employees, including annual salary increments, death-cum-retirement gratuity, maternity leave, and ex-gratia financial assistance and ex-gratia appointment under H.K.R.N., among other benefits, broadly equivalent to those available to regular employees.
Thus, the government has, in principle, accepted almost all the demands raised by the sanitation and fire service employees’ unions.
However, due to the continued insistence of sanitation workers, not only is the sanitation system being affected, but the general public is also facing inconvenience.
Government employees going on strike does not mean that they can prevent other employees who are willing to perform sanitation duties from doing so. Such action is unlawful. In such a situation, apart from taking action against employees who violate the law, the government has no other option.
Therefore, if any employee takes the law into their own hands, legal action will be taken against them strictly in accordance with the rules.
