Delhi School Sanitation Staff, Guards Protest Salary Cut; Arvind Kejriwal Government Promises Remedial Action

Contractual employees of the Delhi government such as sanitation workers and non-teaching staff like security guards in Delhi schools have been protesting against deduction in salaries for the past one week.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government had, in March, notified minimum wages but the Delhi High Court in August quashed the notification, The Times of India has reported.

After the quashing of notification by the high court, it was decided that the Delhi government would follow the minimum wage norms of the Centre. Delhi government earlier this month (October) notified that sanitation workers will be paid Rs 8,858 and Rs 9,800 based on their slab.

The sudden deductions by the government led to protests by the contractual workers.

Officials of the Directorate of Education (DoE) stated that they were aware of the prevailing situation. An official of the department told the paper that the department had asked school heads to inform the workers about the decision of the Delhi High Court and ask them to co-operate for the larger interest of the school.

Kejriwal, addressing the sanitation workers and security guards, said that the Delhi government had approached the Supreme Court in the matter and that the government, till the verdict of the Supreme Court, would notify a cabinet note to give sanitation workers and security guards the pre-High court verdict pay.

A protest demanding minimum wages and end of contract system has been announced by the contractual employees on 22 October.