Nov. 28: The employees of the Guwahati Municipal Corporation will launch an indefinite ceasework from the first week of December to protest against the non-fulfilment of their demands.

The workers want the corporation to introduce pension scheme and clear the contributory provident fund dues of retired employees as well as other retirement benefits.

The decision to cease work was taken by the four employees’ unions of the GMC last evening.

The convenor of the joint forum of the four unions, Chandan Sarma, said the corporation had not cleared the CPF dues, amounting to Rs 30 crore, of retired employees.

The current GMC employees are also offended as the corporation has not deposited their CPF money since July.

“This is a criminal offence and violation of Supreme Court guidelines. No step has been taken despite repeated reminders to commissioner Manish Thakur. Some retired employees have died without receiving their CPF amount. We cannot tolerate such injustice and have decided to agitate,” Sarma said.

The union alleged that the corporation was using the money deducted from the employees’ salaries to clear garbage and construct roads.

Sarma alleged that the GMC had also not cleared other retirement benefits of the employees like group insurance, leave encashment and gratuity which now stand at more than Rs 10 crore.

If the government does not respond positively to the indefinite ceasework, the employees will launch a hunger strike in the second phase of their agitation, Sarma said, adding that the employees would also move Gauhati High Court.