Garbage collectors strike work at Sanguem as four months salary not paid by contractor

Councillor admits that the bill of the garbage contractor has not been cleared for one year, as a result people have to collect their garbage and dump it into the municipality truck

A resident of Sanguem dumping his garbage into the municipality truckHerald Pic

Published on:

11 Oct 2024, 3:03 pm

SANGUEM: The Sanguem municipal council contract basis garbage collectors have stopped door to door collection of garbage at Sanguem town. The reason –non- payment of salaries by the contractor for 4 months. Councilors allege that the Sanguem Municipality has not paid the contractor for one year. As a result the people are forced to empty their own garbage into the municipal council truck on a daily basis.

Chairperson of the Sanguem Municipal Council Archana Gaonkar when questioned about the garbage collectors strike from Friday said they are playing mischief. “It has happened only for one day. We will get new labourers to do the job,” she replied.

When questioned if striking work due to non payment of salary for 4 months was mischief she said, “We have told them we will make the payment. Because there is some mistake in the contractor’s bill, it is stuck at the Directorate of Municipal Administration, in Panjim.

Councillor Meshu D’Costa said, “People have to bring and dump the garbage in the truck since the labourers have all gone on strike. I heard the chairperson saying, the labourers are playing mischief. I can tell you we have committed labourers. The contractor is good. But their payment has been held up for one year the chairperson has to followup.

If there is no payment to the contractor for one year and labourers are not paid for 6 months, why will the labourers collect the garbage?” er.

Meshu D'Costa, Councillor, Sanguem Municipal Council

“I have brought my garbage on a scooter to dump in the municipality truck because the labour is on strike. Definitely it is suffering for us and there are so many people who are suffering. The labourers used to come daily to collect the garbage. Now we have to do this work. The municipality is charging us garbage tax, they should deduct the garbage fees,” one resident of Sanguem told O Heraldo.

Asked about his suggestion to the municipality, the said they should clear the bills of the contractor and the labourers should be paid immediately so that the people do not suffer.