Employees of the Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC) continued their indefinite protest on Tuesday, refusing to resume duties despite assurances from council authorities regarding pending salaries and benefits.
The Dimapur Municipal Council Employees Welfare Union (DMCEWU) reaffirmed its decision to carry on with the “No Pay, No Work” protest, stating that no work will be undertaken until all outstanding salaries are credited. The union had earlier submitted a resolution to the DMC on July 24, demanding the clearance of three months’ salary backlog, disbursement of employee benefits such as EPF and gratuity, and clarity on staff deployment.
With the August 4 deadline lapsing without any concrete outcome, employees staged a peaceful rally at the old DMC building in Kalibari Road on Tuesday. Protest hours have been fixed from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm daily, with mandatory attendance for all union members.
Meanwhile, a closed-door meeting was held at the new DMC office in Forest Colony, where DMC chairperson, CEO Thungchanbemo Tungoe, and councillors discussed the crisis. Council officials acknowledged the staff’s demands and conveyed that steps were being taken to address them. Among the key assurances was the release of a portion of the pending salaries—three out of four months—by or before August 20. According to a report by Eastern Mirror, officials also informed that restructuring of staff duties would be completed by September, and regular disbursal of employee benefits would begin in October.
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A 14-member core committee has been formed to examine financial irregularities and find sustainable solutions to the salary issue.
Despite the commitments, the employees remained skeptical, maintaining that previous assurances had not translated into action. The union conveyed its position that the protest would continue until the pending salaries are fully credited to their accounts.
According to union representatives, verbal assurances were not enough, and until actual disbursement takes place, they will refrain from resuming work.
DMC currently has 436 employees on its payroll. According to the CEO, the council operates without any sanctioned posts or formal service rules, and has faced a severe drop in revenue since the government suspended tax collection at municipal entry points in 2021–2022. While occasional financial aid has been received from the state government, the council’s salary liabilities are estimated at around Rs 2 crore.
(With inputs from Eastern Mirror)
