A meeting of Principal General Secretaries of 40 unions of different departments of Chandigarh related to the Coordination Committee was called by the Coordination Committee of Government and MC Employees and Workers (UT) Chandigarh in Water Works Sector 32. In this meeting, discussions were held regarding the siege of Chandigarh Secretariat on 22 February 2024, in protest against the violation of promises made by the Chandigarh administration and also in support of the nationwide strike on 16 February at Sector 43 bus stand from 12:00 noon. It was decided to hold a massive protest against the anti-employee policies of the Central Government until 2:00 pm.
Issuing a statement, Coordination Committee General Secretary Rakesh Kumar said that the demands for works are being continuously ignored by the Chandigarh Administration. Several rounds of meetings of the Coordination Committee were held with the administration, in which the legitimate demands of the UT and Municipal Corporation employees were presented. The demands were put forward, and the administration promised to fulfill them, but neither the demands have been fulfilled till now nor any response has been given by the administration, due to which thousands of outsourced workers of Chandigarh are angry and protesting against this promise. On February 22, thousands of workers from about 40 unions of different departments of Chandigarh, working with the Coordination Committee, will surround the UT Secretariat.
In his address, Coordination Committee Head Satinder Singh told that the main demands of the workers, on which meetings were held with the Chandigarh Administration and have been given repeatedly in writing, are as follows: a safe policy should be made for the outsourced workers working in different departments of Chandigarh for years, Diwali Bonus Act should be implemented in Chandigarh, and bonus should be given to all the workers falling under this scope; equal pay for equal work should be implemented. The Chandigarh administration is continuously giving non-promises on demands like direct contract and outsourced works, which have been working for a long time, should be kept on the posts lying vacant for a long time based on seniority and merit; MU being done in toilets should be canceled, etc. All the workers will surround the UT Secretariat on 22nd February.
In the meeting, Horticulture Head Anil Sharma, Electrical Workmen Union Head Kishori Lal, Sewerage Employees Union Head Suresh Kumar Sharma, Public Health Workers Union Head Rajendra Kumar Sharma, GMCH Joint Action Committee Head Sukhbir Singh, and the Head General Secretaries of different unions attended their respective meetings. Ideas were put forward, and it was agreed to participate actively in the demonstration being held on 22nd.
