BMC Sanitation Workers End Protest After Govt Promises Pay Raise in 3 Days

Bhubaneswar: BMC sanitation workers ended their two-day strike on Tuesday after receiving assurances of a salary hike within three days from Mayor Sulochana Das. The strike, which began at Rajmahal Square, disrupted sanitation services across the city.

The workers’ primary demands included a salary hike to Rs 15,000 and the appointment of dedicated personnel for waste segregation.

“We understand the sanitation workers’ concerns,” said Mayor Das. “The state government has taken their request for a pay rise seriously and will announce an increase within three days. Regarding waste segregation, the government is reviewing the situation and will make a decision within 15 days.”

This is not the first time sanitation workers have protested for better working conditions. A previous demonstration on February 24 failed to yield any results, prompting the indefinite strike.

The workers expressed frustration at the perceived lack of urgency from the government and the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) in addressing their long-standing demands.