Workers remain united despite alleged threats and pressure; union demands implementation of pending agreements
Ranchi: The strike by workers of Ranchi Municipal Corporation, led by the Jharkhand Municipal Workers’ Union (CITU), was successful, according to the union. Despite alleged threats and pressure to keep workers away from the protest, the strike demonstrated the strength of workers’ unity. The union declared that the struggle would continue until their pending demands were fulfilled.
Addressing a meeting held in support of the strike, Bhawan Singh, S.K. Rai, Prakash Toppo, Prafull Linda, Sukhnath Lohra, Bina Linda, Harendra Yadav, Mahendra Kumar, Sujit Lakra and Sujita highlighted the problems faced by municipal workers. They said that workers responsible for keeping Ranchi clean and maintaining essential civic services were themselves being forced to struggle for their rights, dignity and job security. They described this situation as a contradiction between the claims of the Swachh Bharat Mission and the actual living and working conditions of sanitation workers.
According to the speakers, the movement began in April 2025 with the submission of a charter of demands. Since then, workers have held repeated demonstrations outside the Municipal Corporation office and the Labour Building and have also held discussions with officials. However, despite a tripartite agreement reached before the Labour Department on September 24, 2025, most of the demands remain unresolved.
The outstanding issues include regularisation of employment, payment of arrears, bonuses, leave benefits, maternity benefits, fair wages and job security.
The speakers alleged that workers were threatened and pressured in an attempt to weaken the strike, while some were reportedly discouraged from attending the meeting. They questioned the role of municipal officials, supervisors, ward councillors and concerned contractors, asserting that intimidation could not be accepted as a substitute for resolving workers’ legitimate demands.
The union and CITU warned the Municipal Corporation management and contractors against victimising workers for participating in or supporting the strike. They demanded that no worker be removed from employment, denied wages or subjected to retaliatory action. Any such action, they said, would be met with organised resistance.
The speakers maintained that the strike was not the end of the movement but an important step in the ongoing struggle. They urged the administration to implement the tripartite agreement and resolve all pending demands within a fixed timeframe.
The meeting concluded with an appeal to workers to maintain unity and resist any threats or pressure. The union reiterated that the movement would continue until justice was delivered and the workers’ demands were met.
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