Haryana: Sanitation Workers End Two-Week Strike After Government Accepts Key Demands

Rohtak: The two-week-long strike by sanitation workers across Haryana came to an end on Thursday after the state government agreed to several key demands raised by employees’ unions during negotiations.

The decision to withdraw the strike was taken during a meeting of the Municipal Corporation Employees Union held in Rohtak under the chairmanship of union state president Naresh Kumar Shastri. Union leaders informed workers about the assurances and agreements reached with the government following talks held on Wednesday.

Sanitation workers resumed duties from Thursday, bringing relief to several cities across Haryana where garbage collection and civic sanitation services had been severely affected during the agitation.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Naresh Kumar Shastri said the government had accepted multiple demands of sanitation workers, but warned that the agitation could resume if the assurances were not implemented within the agreed timeline. "If the accepted demands are not implemented by June 30, sanitation workers across the state will again go on strike from July 1," Shastri said.

According to union leaders, detailed discussions were held with the Haryana government over 12 demands raised by employees.

Among the major decisions, the minimum monthly pay scale for contractual sanitation workers has been fixed at ₹15,220. The workers will also be provided benefits under the Employees' State Insurance (ESI) and Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) schemes.

The government has also agreed to increase death compensation assistance for sanitation workers from ₹3 lakh to ₹5 lakh. In addition, dependents of deceased workers will be provided employment support.

Union leaders said payments to sanitation workers will now be made directly through bank accounts to ensure transparency.

Another key demand accepted by the government relates to the regularisation of employees. The government has reportedly agreed to regularise 111 Faridabad employees who had won a related case in the High Court, along with around 150 other workers.

The sanitation workers had been on strike since early May, demanding better wages, social security benefits, regularisation of jobs and improved welfare measures. The strike had disrupted sanitation services in several urban local bodies across the state, leading to mounting garbage accumulation in many cities.

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