You may have to walk on dirty roads in Mumbai

If on Wednesday morning you wake to find unclean roads with garbage strewn all over the place, it’s because about 1 lakh civic employees responsible for maintaining cleanliness in the city might be on strike.

The workers and employees from all departments of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) could declare an indefinite strike if their demand to hike wages as per the Sixth Pay Commission remains unresolved in a final meeting of the group leaders at the BMC headquarters on Tuesday.

If the strike is announced, major civic services, such picking up of garbage and sweeping of roads and municipal hospitals will be affected.

The two worker unions, the Municipal Mazdoor Union and the Municipal Mazdoor Karmachari Kamgar Sena have called for a mammoth rally at Maharashtra Krida Kendra at Elphinstone on Tuesday. More than 25,000 municipal workers and employees are expected to participate.

However, Sharad Rao, president of Municipal Mazdoor Union, has denied that the strike was declared by the two unions.“The strike is declared by the Brihanmumbai Mahanagar Palika Kamgar Karmachari Adhikar Sangarsh Samiti. We will explain to the workers the outcome of the meetings with the municipal commissioner,” Rao said.

A BMC worker from the health department said: “The agreement on the wage revision as per the Sixth Pay Commission of municipal employees has been pending for five years.”

The BMC’s labour department has issued a circular stating that employees participating in the strike will be subjected to disciplinary action.