Patna Municipal Corporation employees call off strike

Patna, Feb 14: Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) employees today called off their six-day long strike following assurance by the civic body administration to look into their demands. "The strike has ended following talks.They would join duty from tomorrow," PMC Commissioner Jai Singh said.

"The Corporation has agreed to meet their two major demands, which are, increasing daily wage as per PMC's financial capacity to pay, besides implementing life-long family pension after getting the state government's nod," he said.

Neeraj Kumar Verma, General Secretary of PMC Employees Union said, "We will return to work from tomorrow. The Corporation has agreed to increase daily wage and the issue of life-long family pension would be put up before PMC board for approval so that it can be sent to the government."

Around 3,500 employees of Patna Municipal Corporation went on a symbolic strike for three days since February 9 but when their demands were not met, they were on an indefinite stir from February 12 that caused piling of heaps of garbage on streets of the city.

Earlier, Verma had said that talks with Singh was not fruitful over not agreeing to increase wage of daily workers to Rs 306 a day from the current amount of Rs 250, equivalent to the amount given to daily wagers in water board.

PTI