Mohali: Members of the Kharar Safai Sewak Sangh Monday held a protest march in the city as part of the statewide indefinite agitation by sanitation workers that began on July 8. Carrying brooms and raising slogans against the Punjab govt, the protesters demanded regularisation of services, abolition of the outsourcing system, implementation of a minimum monthly wage of Rs 40,000, and resolution of their other pending demands.The march passed through major roads of Kharar and briefly disrupted traffic. Vehicular movement on the Chandigarh-Ludhiana highway was affected for about 30 minutes as protesters crossed the stretch before proceeding towards the city’s main market. Police personnel were deployed to regulate traffic and maintain law and order.Addressing the gathering, union representatives said sanitation workers had been raising their demands for years but had received no concrete response from the govt. They alleged that repeated assurances on regularisation and better service conditions had remained confined to promises, forcing workers to intensify their agitation.The protesters also received support from local Congress leaders, who joined the demonstration and backed their demands. Congress representatives alleged that commitments made to sanitation workers by the present state govt had not been fulfilled, leading to growing resentment among employees. They assured workers that their concerns would be addressed if the party returned to power.The ongoing statewide agitation by contractual and outsourced sanitation workers has affected civic services in several towns and cities across Punjab. Door-to-door garbage collection and street sweeping have been disrupted in many urban areas, leading to accumulation of waste at several locations.The protesters reiterated that their indefinite strike would continue until the govt initiated meaningful talks and accepted their key demands, including regularisation of services, abolition of outsourcing and wage enhancement.
