Over 150 firefighters from Gurugram joined a state-wide strike by Haryana fire department officials, demanding compensation for the families of two firemen who died in a workshop fire in Faridabad’s Mujesar in February, officials said on Wednesday. They also raised concerns over salary hikes and risk and medical allowances over the past five years.
Around 1,640 contractual employees out of the 1,860 under the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam (HKRN) are participating in the two-day strike, which will continue till Thursday, according to union leaders.
Firefighters from all seven stations gathered at Sector 29 headquarters and protested the government’s inaction on compensation for those who died while dousing a massive oil factory fire in Faridabad on February 16, which left five dead and over 35 injured.
“A memorandum listing all demands was submitted to the deputy director’s office. The strike will continue indefinitely if demands are not met by Thursday,” said a participant, requesting anonymity.
Officials said only contractual employees participated in the strike. “Permanent staff, including fire safety officers, did not participate. A meeting between workers and senior officials is scheduled for Thursday at 11:30 pm in Chandigarh to resolve their grievances,” said Sajjan Sangwan, assistant divisional fire officer.
A senior official at the IMT Manesar fire station said services were largely unaffected, with support from Haryana Roadways and homeguard employees. “Around 150 temporary staff, including 50 from roadways and 100 homeguards, were roped in for driving duties, while the regular staff handled emergency response,” the senior official said.
Officials said operations were partially affected in stations such as Pataudi and IMT Manesar during the first half of the day.
