Sanitation workers under the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) have decided to go on strike from Wednesday on the issue of pending salaries and arrears.

The safai karamchari (sanitation workers) move ahead of Diwali is likely to disturb civic body’s authorities whose repeated attempt to bring the union leaders on board failed.

Sanjay Gehlot, president of MCD Swachhata Karmchari Union, affiliated to Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) said: “We are the largest union helping thousands of employees under our banner had given notice to the officials for calling on strike two months ago. We do not know with whom the civic authorities have met today, so as per our announcement we will going to call on strike from tomorrow.” There are more than 16,000 sanitation workers in the EDMC.

“Tomorrow we will not just halt work indefinitely, but gherao the EDMC headquarters in Patparganj and also put a lock on it,” threatened Gahlot.

The East Delhi Mayor, Neema Bhagat, on Tuesday held a meeting with the union leaders assuring them of meeting their “legitimate demands” but the latter refused to call off the strike. The Mayor informed to media persons through a press-conference here that all demands of Safai Karamchari were agreed to in the meeting and one of the important unions has assured not to participate in the strike.

“Safai Karancharis are backbone of EDMC and the Corporation would make all possible efforts to fulfill their demands including the one about cashless card,” said the Mayor. She said that salary for the month of September has been disbursed and it would be ensured that bonus is also released well in time before Diwali.

“EDMC has proposed to pay all pending arrears of Safai Karacharis despite poor financial condition of the corporation,” said the Mayor.

Commissioner Dr Ranveer Singh said that EDMC is striving hard to improve its financial condition and a meeting with Lieutenant Governor and Delhi government has been done with regard to implementation of recommendations of 4th Finance Commission.

Notably, this could be the eighth strike of its kind by sanitation workers in east Delhi in the last two years. In the last strike on January 5 this year, garbage was not lifted from the trans-Yamuna area for days. Roads were strewn with rotting trash from Shahdara to Laxmi Nagar to Mayur Vihar with overbearing stench.

The East MCD has 16,433 workers out of which 12,000 are permanent and over 4,000 are substitutes. They are majorly engaged in lifting and transportation of nearly 2,500 tonnes of garbage daily.

Then there are about 1,500 drain cleaners, gardeners and road sweepers, whose dues are also pending. The BJP that rules the three corporations has already faced flak over its inability to handle solid waste management.