Mumbai: A day after, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation issued a final warning and a 72-hours ultimatum to class III and class IV workers to report to work or face dismissal, the civic employees union have demanded that trains and bus services across the city should resume to facilitate their travel to work.
The Municipal Union, an umbrella body of BMC employees have written to BMC commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal stating that the civic body must first ensure the employees get vehicles for their travel from home to office and back. "Limited trains and buses ply currently. Many BMC class III and class IV workers face difficulty in getting a mode of transport to travel to work. We have been demanding the same and written to the civic administration several times. However, the officials have failed to address this issue. Before threatening the employees, the civic body must first make arrangements for their travels from home to their workplace and back," said Ramakant Bane, secretary of The Municipal Union.
According to the municipal union, at least 12 civic employees engaged in essential work have succumbed to the virus so far, and families of few of these victims are yet to receive compensation from the civic body. The BMC does not have a group insurance scheme for its employees and is merely covering hospitalisation cost up to Rs. 2 lakh.
Bane added, "Family members and close contacts of those tested positive were not tested for infection. This has instilled fear among the families of BMC employees. The civic body needs to address this issue and take these employees in confidence before threatening them of dismissal.
On Thursday, BMC chief Chahal directed the civic officials and hospital authorities to dismiss those not reporting to work after a final warning. The BMC has also threatened such workers that it will appoint contract workers as their replacement if they fail to report to work within the next 72 hours. The issue of absenteeism of health workers has been reported at several civic-run health facilities in the city.
