****Safai Karamchari Samaj Backbone of Society, Fulfilling Duties in All Weathers/ Dharminder Tony

****Safai Karamchari Samaj Backbone of Society, Fulfilling Duties in All Weathers/ Dharminder Tony
****Strike by Sanitation Workers Disrupts Situation, Government Must Take Note
****Sanitation Workers' Demands Legitimate, Government Should Resolve Immediately/ Shiromani Akali Dal
Phagwara/Daljeet Ajnoha/May 13
Supporting the demands of sanitation workers, Shiromani Akali Dal's Trade Wing State General Secretary Dharminder Kumar Tony has urged the AAP government to resolve the issue promptly. He stated that due to the AAP government's anti-employee policies, workers are being forced to strike, causing the sanitation system across the state to collapse and leaving people facing severe hardships.
He noted that working professionals, shopkeepers, and market visitors have suffered the most due to the strike. Many vehicle drivers had to take long detours, and traffic congestion in the city's inner areas worsened the situation further.
Dharminder Tony clarified that going on strike is not a choice for the workers but a compulsion, as 90 percent of Punjab's sanitation staff are contractual employees working for a meager salary of just Rs 10,000. With continuously rising inflation, it has become extremely difficult for these workers to sustain their families on such low wages.
Reminding the government of its past promises, he pointed out that four-and-a-half years ago, the current regime had sought votes from these very sanitation workers under the broom symbol to come to power. Tony highlighted that workers have long been demanding restoration of the old pension scheme, regularization of contractual staff, and reinstatement of dismissed employees, but the government shows no seriousness in addressing their issues.
He accused the AAP government of promoting the contractor system, which has put workers' livelihoods at risk. People in villages and cities are yearning for basic facilities, forced to live hellish lives amid garbage heaps everywhere and sewage water flowing on roads.
Tony emphasized that sanitation workers are the strong backbone of society. Through their hard work and dedication, the cleanliness, health, and dignity of cities and villages are maintained. They selflessly perform their duties in every weather, every situation, and every challenge, playing a vital role in keeping society safe and healthy. He added that the dream of a clean and healthy society remains incomplete without sanitation workers, who form the spine of cleanlinesswithout them, the definition of making cities clean and beautiful cannot be truly realized.