THE health department of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) issued an order dated June 6, 2024 regularising 3049 domestic breeding checkers (DBCs) vide creation of the MTS (PH) posts. This historic victory has strengthened the struggles for regularisation, that too in government departments, not only in Delhi, but across the country. The multidimensional impacts of this victory are manifested in three planks: First, it has successfully created a dent over the overwhelming neoliberal consensus manufactured by ruling class in favour of contract system of the perennial jobs. Second, the relentless struggles over the last seven  years have made this possible in Delhi, wherein all the leading political forces, both in ruling or opposition, are staunch supporters of informalisation of work force. Thirdly, the notification has come at a juncture when the results of last lok sabha elections have brought the importance of the livelihood issues to the centre stage to some extent and have opened up a crack which now needs to be widened further by the working class' struggles.

BACKGROUND

It was the five-day strike in July-August 2023 that provided a final push to the struggle for regularization. This strike led by Anti-Malaria Ekta Karmachari Union, AMEKU (affiliated to CITU) was successful in galvanising vast sections of non-unionised workers as well with observance being as high as 95 per cent across the five days. On the fifth day of strike the MCD Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti was forced to agree that the corporation will itself take necessary steps to create permanent posts for DBC and this put an end to the dilly dallying between the corporation and the Delhi government. However, as the previous experience has shown it has taken nearly nine months for this written agreement to be materialised in the form of a concrete regularisation order. AMEKU under the leadership of CITU was clear that it will have to maintain its vigilant class unity to ensure that the administration doesn't try to sabotage the gains of the strike through any means whatsoever. This is how despite the attempts of sabotage through incorrect drafting of preamble of the order and unnecessary dilly dallying by the administration, the DBCs have emerged victorious. 

FROM ORGANISATION TO STRUGGLE AND FROM STRUGGLE TO ORGANISATION 

The formation of AMEKU in 2017 acted as a major fillip in the struggle of DBC workers for regulariSation. Numerous agitation programmes and strikes have been organised since 2017 on the issue of regularisation and other demands. In 2017, the municipal corporations were forced to arrive at a written agreement which considered DBCs to be regularised as field workers against the vacant post and further posts will be created. In the subsequent period the BJP-led MCDs and the AAP-led Delhi government kept dilly dallying in taking steps towards creating permanent posts which was necessary to implement the agreement of 2017. 

After another phase of struggle, the authorities of South Delhi Municipal Corporation were forced to issue a written order on March 9, 2022 through which all DBC employees were given the post of MTS (PH) on a contract basis. The strike action of July-August 2023 was necessitated primarily by the non-implementation of the order of March 9, 2022. 

The most important phase of this struggle has been the last nine months, when the union not only expanded the organisation but also maintained class vigil through continuous mobilisation and consistent efforts towards championing democratic functioning. Immediately after the strike action, intensive zone wise general body meetings were organised to push towards expansion and also ensure that every attempt of the administration to break the unity of the employees or create confusion in the ranks was squarely defeated. This not only led to 36 per cent increase in the membership of the union, but also ensured that even the non-members rallied solidly behind the union.

This conscious effort to consolidate and expand the organisation after every struggle, and channelise the organisational momentum into struggle has been one consistent feature of the AMEKU over the last seven years.

WHO ARE THE DBCS?

3500 DBC workers of the now unified Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) have been discharging the crucial duty of control of deadly diseases such as dengue and chikungunya in the national capital for the last 28 years. In 1996, when Delhi was ravaged by a deadly dengue epidemic, the health department of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi recruited these workers as malaria beldars on a daily wage basis. They were designated as health workers in 1998, domestic breeding checkers (DBCs)/health workers in 2000 and later as domestic breeding checkers (DBCs) in 2006. However, over the years the job requirements of these workers expanded enormously to include not only the control of life-threatening diseases like dengue, chikungunya, malaria, jaundice, cholera, corona (Covid-19), but also  house tax and toll tax collection, various tasks related to the building department, Swachh Sarvekshan Abhiyan and  DDA to name the few. In spite of the perennial and hugely diversified nature of work, DBC workers continued to be treated as daily wagers and paid notified minimum wages for the semi-skilled category.

WAY FORWARD 

This important victory needs to be seen in the political background of Delhi. The BJP through the LG of Delhi has been actively working to sabotage the functioning of the Delhi government and the MCD.  AAP, just like many other opposition parties has also been facing the political assault of BJP through the use of central government agencies and today even the CM Arvind Kejriwal is behind the bars in liquor policy excise duty case.

Yet, it is also a fact that, when it comes to class issues and class perspective, AAP too is committed to the ruling class agenda of contract system and all other facets that form the part of attack against the working class today.  Today AAP runs Delhi government as well as the MCD. AAP had promised to end contract system in government departments before the 2015 assembly elections of Delhi and promised the same regarding MCD before the elections last year. However, today contract system is a norm in all the departments of Delhi government and also in the MCD.

The movement of DBC workers over the last seven years has shown us that through consistent efforts and measures to reach out and galvanise widest possible sections of workers and employees, it is possible to defy the neoliberal dictates of the ruling class, even within a very limited organisational scope. And certainly, the right to regularisation is nothing but the right to assert the democratic expressions of the working class without any fear of unlawful retrenchment. Through the struggles only, the struggle for democracy can be strengthened and extended. With this perspective, the trade union movement in Delhi shall carry forward the DBC experience to other government departments and also among other sectors of workers and employees. One victory will empower us to advance towards more such battles - undaunted, united and determined.