AMC Accepts All 12 Demands After 3,000 Desilting Workers Strike Ahead of Heavy Rain

The Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) administration accepted all 12 demands of around 3,000 desilting workers on Monday, ending a strike that had threatened stormwater drainage work during the monsoon.

The workers, involved in clearing catch-pits and stormwater drainage systems, had been on strike since Thursday over demands including higher wages, an eight-hour shift and settlement of work bills within 15 days of completion.

The decision came after rain lashed Ahmedabad on Sunday, with heavy rain forecast for Monday. With desilting operations at risk of being disrupted, the AMC administration moved to resolve the dispute.

Workers Raise Wage, Work-Order Issues

According to Vasant Vaghela, general secretary of the Ahmedabad City Valmiki Desilting Workers' Association, workers had been seeking wage revisions and an eight-hour working shift for a long time.

Vaghela said workers also faced problems when they were assigned work without formal work orders, leaving them vulnerable to threats of dismissal.

The workers had staged protests at various AMC offices while pressing for their demands.

Strike Threatened Drainage Operations

The timing of the strike had raised concerns within the civic administration as the city was already dealing with waterlogging in several areas during the monsoon.

Desilting workers play a key role in clearing catch-pits and drainage networks before and during heavy rainfall. A prolonged halt in the work could have affected the AMC's ability to keep stormwater flowing through the city's drainage system.

With rain recorded on Sunday and more intense showers forecast, the Municipal Commissioner ultimately agreed to all 12 demands, bringing the strike to an end.