NMC staff on mass leave on Aug 10, 11

For the next four days, Nagpurians may have to face problems in getting proper water supply, sanitation and health facilities. Getting any work done at NMC's Civil Lines office or any of the zonal offices may also prove to be unsuccessful as over 9,500 employees of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), affiliated to various trade unions, have unanimously decided to go on mass leave for two days, August 10 and 11. Since a Saturday and Sunday precede the strike period, citizens may face problem for four days in a row. The unions are protesting the NMC administration and office-bearers refusal to grant them wages as per the recommendations of the sixth pay commission. Sources said, "NMC staffers at all the offices, hospitals, schools, water supply department will go on mass casual leave, resulting in total shut down on Monday and Tuesday. Also, Sundays and second Saturdays are a holiday for NMC." Employees attached to unions like Nagpur Municipal Corporation Teachers Union, Nagpur NMC Backward Class Employees Association, Sanitary Workers Mahasangh, Nagpur Corporation Employees Union and Municipal Employees Sena recently staged demonstrations, agitations and gate meetings on August 6 to raise their demands. However, the demands have not been fulfilled and the employees have decided to go on mass leave, sources in the unions said.
Meanwhile, municipal commissioner Aseem Gupta has issued a circular addressing all head, zonal officers and in-charge officials on Friday asking them not to sanction leave for any employee on August 10 and 11, in reaction to a strike called by the unions. If officials or staffers remain absent from duties despite non-sanctioning of leave, they will be considered as absent without leave and pay would be deducted, the circular says.