Ranchi Municipal Corporation Workers Strike Over Regularisation, Wages and Pending Dues

Workers of the Ranchi Municipal Corporation went on strike on Thursday under the banner of the Jharkhand Urban Local Bodies Workers’ Union (CITU), demanding regularisation of jobs, payment of pending dues, fair wages and better employment security. The union alleged that workers were being threatened and pressured to discourage them from participating in the agitation, and said the protest would continue until their demands were addressed.

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 concerns of sanitation workers and other civic employees.

The speakers said workers responsible for keeping the city clean and maintaining essential civic services were being forced to struggle for their rights, dignity and job security. They also pointed to what they described as a gap between the ground realities faced by sanitation workers and the objectives of the Swachh Bharat Mission.

According to the union, the agitation began in April 2025 with the submission of a charter of demands. Workers subsequently held protests outside the municipal corporation office and the Labour Bhawan and held discussions with officials. However, most demands remain unresolved despite a tripartite agreement reached before the Labour Department on September 24, 2025.

The outstanding demands include regularisation of workers, clearance of pending payments, bonus, leave benefits, maternity benefits, fair wages and employment security.

Union representatives alleged that attempts were being made to weaken the strike by pressuring workers and discouraging them from attending the protest meeting. They also questioned the role of municipal officials, supervisors, ward councillors and the contractors concerned.

The union urged the municipal corporation management and contractors not to harass workers participating in or supporting the strike. It warned that any attempt to remove workers from their jobs, withhold wages or take retaliatory action would lead to an intensification of the agitation.

The speakers said workers had allowed sufficient time for the issues to be resolved through negotiations, but assurances alone were no longer enough. They called on the administration to implement the tripartite agreement and settle all pending demands within a defined timeframe.

The Jharkhand Urban Local Bodies Workers’ Union and CITU appealed to workers to remain united and resist any threats or pressure. Union general secretary Prakash Toppo and CITU district secretary Prateek Mishra said the struggle would continue until the workers received justice and their demands were met.

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