The activities of Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) have come to a grinding halt as a group of employees yesterday went on strike for an indefinite period of time, demanding what they said payment of wages as per the government rules, among others.    

Demanding the realisation of 11-point demand, hundreds of employees under banner of "RCC Employees' Union" took position in front of Rajshahi Nagar Bhaban around 9:00am. They also locked all entry points of RCC, barring the officials from entering the office. 

Failing to get inside, some of the officials on condition of anonymity said they had to return home.  

Dulal Sheikh, president of the employees' union, said they would not allow any activities until their demands are met.

The government on May 24 last year revised the wage structure for the employees working on a daily basis and fixed per day salary at Tk 450 for unskilled labourers and Tk 500 for skilled labourers, he said.

But the labourers are still getting Tk 300 per day as wages, he said.

Their other demands include ensuring promotion and home loans for permanent employees, providing proper pension facilities, stopping harassment of permanent staff, and regularising the temporary staff who have been serving RCC for long.

Contacted over the phone around noon, RCC Mayor Mosaddek Hossain Bulbul said he was on the way to Dhaka. 

Terming the incident "a violation of service rules", the mayor said the corporation had hardly any employees' union for the last one decade.

Our councillors and officials had been continuing discussion with the employees on the implementation of wage structure since May this year. 

The demand for enhanced pay for daily labourers is logical, he said, but it needs time to fix it.

“They cannot put the corporation under lock and key like this and stop all activities forcibly. We're observing the situation,” he said.

The Daily Star talked to Azmir Ahmed Mamun, general secretary of the employees' union, last evening to know the development.

He said they had also locked the city corporation garage in the city's Shalbagan area and the Central Park and Zoo managed by the RCC.    

“We will continue the strike tomorrow until our demands are met,” he added.

This correspondent last evening approached high officials of RCC, but they did not want to comment on the issue.

The Daily Star again tried to reach the mayor over the phone last evening, but he could not be contacted.