VIJAYAWADA: Vijayawada city, which has recently secured the Swachh Survekshan Award 2024 under the Super Swachh League Cities category for its cleanliness and sanitation practices, is now reeling under unsanitary conditions with municipal workers on strike. The door-to-door garbage collection has come to a halt in many places, and large piles of garbage on the streets are causing inconvenience to citizens.
Exacerbating the situation, street dogs and other animals are spreading out these garbage piles, resulting in littered streets, with many locations in the city resembling a dumping yard.
Demanding implementation of government welfare schemes such as Talliki Vandanam, social security pensions, job security, insurance, and decreasing work burden, the municipal outsourcing employees, particularly sanitation workers, went on strike on July 13.Around 3,000 outsourcing workers (Andhra Pradesh Corporation for Outsourced Services-APCOS) are currently observing the strike and reportedly not attending their respective duties for the past three days.
On the other hand, around 900 outsourcing contract workers who handle key services such as streetlights, drainage, water supply, horticulture, mechanics, drivers, cleaners, and chain men are on strike since June 25.
Demanding implementation of G.O. No. 36, wage hike to Rs 21,000 and Rs 24,000 for skilled labourers, ESI, Health Cards, and other issues, these employees went on strike. Currently, these engineering and horticultural employees are being given Rs 12,000 and Rs 15,000 salaries per month.
CITU Vijayawada honorary president Donepudi Shankar said that the workers are on strike for their legitimate demands. “The government and VMC must respond quickly to workers’ demands. They are suffering a lot with low income and the suspension of welfare schemes. A lot of workers have been doing duties for the past 30 years; however, they are paid very little,” he added.
On the other hand, the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) officials have left no stone unturned to tackle the situation and ensure proper waste management across the city. VMC Commissioner Dhyanachandra HM allocated a budget to provisionally recruit contract employees daily.
VMC employees, including regular, temporary and some APCOS, are working hard to maintain sanitation in the city. Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr K Arjun Rao stated that VMC sanitation staff are working diligently.