Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation staff, owing allegiance to the Municipal Mazdoor Union led by Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Rao, went on a strike on Tuesday demanding salaries on the lines of the sixth pay commission. Civic employees who have joined the strike include those involved in jobs such as garbage collection, dousing fires, monitoring water supply and working in civic hospitals.
The strike by a section of employees of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for a pay hike was called off on Tuesday evening following "positive assurance" on the issue from the Maharashtra government, bringing relief to citizens affected by the stir.
The ad is one more illustration of the way Maharashtra's new Shinde-Fadnavis government has been milking the Ganpati festival, with CM Eknath Shinde visiting Ganpati Mandals all day these last 10 days.
Besides salaries and arrears, the employees are seeking regularisation of contract-based employees and unification of the three corporations.
The announcement to end the stir, which began on January 27 to press for payment of their dues, was made by the Swatantra Mazdoor Vikas Sanyukt Morcha -- an umbrella body of 38 unions of sanitation workers and class IV employees of East and North Delhi Municipal corporations.
'I was told to go to the next room and strip -- that's when it really hits you for the first time... that you are a criminal and you are being treated like one.' 'It comes as a shock when, instead of your name, you hear, "Yeh naya Maowadi aaya hai (A new Maoist has arrived)".'
Ten trade unions with a combined membership of 15 crore workers in public and private sector, including banks and insurance companies, are on a nationwide strike to protest against changes in the labour laws.
Far from the metros and big cities, the coronavirus crisis in the country's districts, towns and villages is being led by district magistrates.
The responsibility of keeping the pandemic under control lies with the DM or collector.
Subrat Kumar Sen, the young district magistrate of Saran, north Bihar, tells Rediff.com's Archana Masih how he and his staff are combating a crisis that no one has confronted before.
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