NEW DELHI: A union of municipal workers, who are at the forefront of the fight against vector-borne diseases in Delhi, have called an indefinite strike from July 31 if their demands are not met. Delhi Mayor Shelly Oberoi, however, has assured that their demands will be looked into.
There are about 3,000 dengue breeding checking workers in the MCD and 2,000 field workers.
The strike by DBC workers under the banner of Anti-Malaria Ekta Karmachari Union could spell trouble for Delhi as there is a threat of a rise in cases of dengue and other vector-borne diseases due to early monsoon rains and recent flooding in parts of Delhi owing to increase in water levels of the Yamuna.
“We have recently served the notice on the MCD via its mayor and commissioner, saying that our members will go on an indefinite strike from July 31, if our long-pending demands are not met,” said the union’s president, Devanand Sharma.
The union has about 2,800 DBC workers, as well as several field workers, as its members, he said. “We were hired in 1996 when Delhi faced a massive dengue outbreak with over 10,200 cases and more than 420 deaths, the worst outbreak on record for Delhi. And, later in 2006, we were given the tag of DBC workers. But, our demand has been regularisation of our jobs, and MCD authorities are not doing it,” Sharma said.
He also claimed that only one CL (casual leave) a month is given to a DBC worker, and the workload is too much, but no health coverage, and after the death of an employee, no support is there for the family members.