After abstaining from work for two consecutive days in protest against the non-payment of salaries for the past three months, the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) sanitation workers have decided to resume duty from Saturday.
The workers staged their second day of protest on Friday demanding immediate release of their dues. In response, DMC chief executive officer (CEO) Thungchanbemo Tungoe and DMC chairman Hukheto Yepthomi, along with councillors, held a closed-door meeting with the aggrieved workers at the old DMC office to address the matter.
Following extensive deliberations, the sanitation workers agreed to resume duty, but gave administration a deadline till December 16 to clear the remaining salary dues. They also agreed to wait for the pending EPF contributions to be cleared by March 2026.
It may be mentioned that on December 4, the sanitation staff had submitted a memorandum to the DMC chairman regarding the non-payment of salaries from August to November. The workers had warned that they would cease work if their dues were not released by December 10. Subsequently, DMC released one month’s salary for August on December 9, and another month’s salary on December 11, leaving two months still pending.
The sanitation workforce under DMC consists of over 200 employees responsible for maintaining cleanliness across 23 wards, comprising 87 colonies and areas, according to the latest district administrative records updated in November 2024. Their absence over the past two days resulted in piling up of garbage across multiple localities.
With no workers on duty, piles of unattended waste accumulated across street corners, markets and residential colonies, emitting foul odours and posing potential health risks.
Despite the overflowing garbage at collection points, many residents continued to dump wastes further aggravating the situation. Citizens voiced growing concern over the unhygienic environment and the possibility of disease outbreaks if the issue were prolonged.
DNSU seeks long-term solution
DIMAPUR, DEC 12 (NPN): Expressing concern over the protest by Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) sanitation workers against non-payment of salaries, the Dimapur Naga Students’ Union (DNSU) has urged the municipal authorities to address the salary payment issue at the earliest and ensure a long-term solution so such situations did not recur.
In a press release, DNSU president Hinoto P Aomi and general secretary Michael Kath noted that this was not the first time such an issue has arisen and termed as “deeply unfortunate” that the very workers who keep the city clean and functional, were “repeatedly subjected to this hardship.”
The union also maintained that the current protest has resulted in uncollected waste across Dimapur, leading to an unhygienic and unpleasant environment in the city.
Describing sanitation workers as the backbone of DMC, DNSU said their welfare must be prioritised under all circumstances.
Reminding that many councillors during election campaigns in their manifestos emphasised the vision of a clean and hygienic Dimapur, the union said that fulfilling the basic rights of sanitation workers was a fundamental step toward achieving that commitment.
DNSU affirmed solidarity with the sanitation workers and further called upon the responsible authorities to take immediate and responsible action.