Shimla May 30
The state committee of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) has strongly condemned the police detention of CITU leaders during the ongoing agitation by SAIHB Society employees in Shimla and demanded their immediate release.
In a statement issued on Friday, CPM State Secretary Sanjay Chauhan termed the police action “undemocratic and unconstitutional,” asserting that the Constitution guarantees citizens the right to protest and raise their concerns peacefully.
“The municipal administration appears to be attempting to suppress the ongoing movement of SAIHB Society employees through police action,” Chauhan said. He warned that if the detained CITU leaders are not released immediately and the dismissed employees are not reinstated, the CPM will extend full support to the agitation and actively participate in future protests.
The controversy stems from a prolonged dispute between the Shimla Municipal Corporation and the SAIHB Society Employees’ Union over annual wage increments, which employees allege were curtailed by the civic body. During earlier phases of the agitation, services of 41 SAIHB employees were terminated, triggering widespread resentment among workers.
According to the CPM, a settlement was later reached between the Municipal Corporation administration and the employees’ union, under which several demands—including the reinstatement of the dismissed workers—were reportedly accepted. However, the party alleges that the agreed terms have not been implemented in their entirety, forcing employees to resume their protest.
The CPM has urged the Shimla Municipal Corporation to honour the agreement reached with the union, restore the services of all dismissed employees without delay, and address the pending demands of the workforce to prevent further escalation of the dispute.
The issue has once again brought labour rights and municipal employment practices into focus, with trade unions warning of intensified protests if assurances made by the administration remain unfulfilled.
