Garbage lying unattended for the second day, on August 6, in light of the now suspended cease work agitation by DMC employees.
To resume work from August 7
Morung Express News
Dimapur | August 6
The striking Dimapur Municipal Council employees called off its cease work agitation on August 6. The agitation, called by the Dimapur Municipal Council Employees Welfare Union (DMCEWU), was initially declared as indefinite in protest over unpaid salaries, delayed crediting of provident fund and other benefits, and demand for rationalisation of duty detailment.
The agitation was suspended around noon today, one and a half days since it began on August 5.
DMCEWU President, Vinoto Ayemi, told the media at the DMC office, in Kalibari Road, that the decision to suspend its agitation was taken in consultation with the general body. “We have decided to call off the agitation and resume work from tomorrow (August 7),” announced Ayemi.
In response to the agitation, a beleaguered DMC had constituted a Core Committee, on August 5, headed by the chairperson as convener to look into the grievances of the employees. The committee was composed of 12 councillors and the CEO as members.
The Chief Executive Officer, or the chief bureaucrat of the DMC, Thungchanbemo Tungoe subsequently made the announcement. He also outlined three commitments of the DMC— clearing of the pending three months salaries by August 20, streamlining of the employees duty roster by September-end, and crediting of all other employee benefits regularly starting October.
The declared commitment however did not sit well with a section of the DMCEWU, who insisted that they will resume work until and unless the pending salaries were credited to their accounts. In light of the resentment, the DMCEWU executives decided to continue with the agitation.
“We have made three demands. And since the higher-ups have responded positively to our demands, we decided to call off the agitation,” DMCEWU President, Ayemi said. “Since they said ‘by August 20,’ we are hopeful the pending salaries would be disbursed earlier,” he added.
In the event, the higher-ups do not live up to the assurance, the union will be compelled to resume the agitation, he added.
He said that that the section of employees, who initially insisted on continuing with the agitation till the salaries were cleared, have also understood the situation and agreed to resume work. If they are still adamant, he added, “They will be answerable to the higher-ups.”
On the question of the DMC making revenue in the form of market tolls, and still struggling to pay salaries, he said that it can be only answered by the higher-ups. As ministerial employees, he said that they have no say in executive decisions of the DMC.
