Amid spike in vector-borne diseases in Delhi, mosquito checkers warn of strike

“People moving successful the aforesaid station are being fixed six antithetic types of salaries — Rs 27,000 being the highest, portion different salaries are successful the scope of Rs 19,000-Rs Rs 24,000 oregon adjacent arsenic debased arsenic Rs 18,000 a month,” said Devanand Sharma, president of the Anti-Malaria Ekta Karamchari Union. “If everyone is doing akin work, determination shouldn’t beryllium specified differences successful salary,” helium said.

MCD officials did not respond contempt aggregate attempts seeking comment.

One of the cardinal issues highlighted is the inconsistent outgo of bonuses. “Before Diwali, they denote bonuses each year, but immoderate workers get Rs 7,000, portion others get Rs 1,000. In North and East Delhi, the bonuses haven’t been fixed for the past 2-3 years,” Sharma claimed.

Additionally, the workers assertion that portion Provident Fund deductions are made, the wealth does not scope their Employee Provident Fund accounts.

The DBCs were hired connected declaration by the section successful 1996 pursuing a terrible dengue strain that resulted successful 10,000 cases of illnesses and 423 fatalities. Initially, 1,100 home breeding checkers (DBCs) were hired; currently, MCD has 3,112 DBCs.

While the workers, classified arsenic portion of MCD’s Multi-Tasking Staff since November past year, person been demanding adjacent wage and occupation information for years, an indefinite onslaught successful July saw immoderate interaction arsenic the workers returned to enactment with promises of aboriginal negotiations.

However, with nary further discussions regarding their demands, the workers consciousness they person nary enactment but to endanger different strike. “We person sent 5 letters truthful acold asking for solutions, but they are not adjacent acceptable to talk,” Sharma said.

DBCs besides demanded enactment for the families of workers who died connected duty. Since 1996, 52 DBCs person mislaid their lives owed to diseases contracted portion astatine work. In November 2023, a connection was presented successful the MCD House to connection jobs to the widows of deceased workers but the docket has been deferred since.