Ajmer: Around 2,300 temporary sanitation workers in Ajmer went on strike Wednesday afternoon, staging a protest at Rambagh after taking out a rally demanding payment of their pending wages. The workers alleged that they had not received their payment for the last two months, and those who had demanded their wages were threatened with removal.“We left work this afternoon demanding our payment. We have not received any money in the last two months. When we asked the contractor, he said that he submitted the bill to Ajmer Municipal Corporation (AMC), but payment was not made, and when we approached AMC, they said that the contractor already took the payment,” said Sunny Goyal, leader of the temporary sanitation workers.Several workers at the protest said they belonged to the Valmiki community and were struggling to meet daily expenses. “We have to pay our children’s school fees and manage household needs. Even in these cold waves, we continue working, but when we demand our money, they threaten to remove us,” one worker said. The workerssaid that their salaries should be released by the 10th of every month and alleged that they were not receiving benefits such as PF or any other facilities, despite rules mandating them. The workers also alleged that last year too they had gone on a strike, but the contractor removed those who took part in it. Meanwhile, an official of the AMC said that the matter is between the contractor and the workers, and corporation is paying the bills according to the norms.The workers have called for a meeting Thursday at the AMC office where they will decide the further way of their agitation. This strike can bring problems to residents and disrupt waste collection across the city, as 54 out of 80 wards and 12 main roads are entirely dependent on these temporary sanitation staff.
