NOIDA: Around 1,100 sanitation workers engaged in door-to-door garbage collection across Noida went on strike on Monday, demanding a wage hike and parity with their counterparts in Greater Noida.he agitation disrupted waste collection services across the city, with all four waste-processing compounds in Sectors 138, 62, 54, and 8 remaining shut. (HT Photo)The agitation disrupted waste collection services across the city, with all four waste-processing compounds in Sectors 138, 62, 54, and 8 remaining shut.A key demand of the workers is wage parity with sanitation staff in Greater Noida where the sanitation workers earn around ₹21,000 per month, said officials.Workers in Noida said the latest wage revision has failed to keep pace with rising living costs.“The (garbage collection) driver’s salary has increased from ₹17,123 to ₹17,553, while helpers earn around ₹15,000 a month. The increase is only about ₹400, which is barely anything,” said a driver, requesting anonymity.“The poor worker gets a salary of ₹15,130. Out of that, they have to pay rent, children’s school fees and buy household necessities. There is very little left at the end of the month,” said Satveer Makwana, president of the Akhil Bharatiya Safai Mazdoor Sangh.“They used to increase salaries by ₹1,500 to ₹1,800 every year. Last time the increase was around ₹1,200. This time it is only about ₹400, which is hardly meaningful,” he added.Lokesh, a sanitation worker posted in Sector 74, said they deserve extra compensation due to the physically demanding nature of their jobs. “I earn around ₹15,000 a month. We are demanding additional compensation for the strenuous work we do… We also want a provision that if a worker falls ill or becomes unable to work, a family member should be given employment so that the household’s livelihood is not lost,” he added.Workers’ representatives also met the Noida authority officials in the afternoon and submitted their demands, saying that their strike would continue until their concerns are addressed.“Door-to-door sanitation workers are on strike, which has affected the entire city. We are currently in talks with the third-party agency through which these workers were hired,” said SP Singh, general manager (health), Noida authority.The strike, meanwhile, drew concern from residents’ welfare associations, which said disruptions in garbage collection have become a recurring problem in the city.“It is a matter of great concern that the door-to-door garbage collection agency goes on strike every one or two months, causing inconvenience to lakhs of residents. The Noida authority and district administration should have contingency plans and alternative arrangements in place so that the city’s sanitation system is not affected,” said Virendra Singh Negi, general secretary of RWA Sector 53.He said the Authority should have a backup mechanism to ensure waste collection services continue uninterrupted during labour disputes.Workers said that the Authority officials have assured them that efforts are being made to resolve the issue by June 5. Until then, the strike is expected to continue, affecting door-to-door waste collection across Noida.