After striking a deal with the Haryana government on Friday, sanitation workers under the Nagar Palika Karamchari Sangh ended their longest-ever strike, which lasted for 37 days.A total of 13,091 sanitation workers on the Palika rolls (contractual workers) had been on strike in the state since August 6, demanding regularisation. Supporting them, 3,418 regular sanitation workers also joined the strike, crippling garbage collection.Heaps of municipal waste accumulated along roads in cities across the state. Most of the local bodies addressed the situation by collecting garbage at night.Sanitation workers strike deal with governmentRepresentatives of the union held a meeting with Cabinet Minister Vipul Goel and Cabinet Minister Krishan Kumar Bedi on Friday, during which an agreement was reached on their demands.It was agreed that workers would be given a uniform allowance of Rs 440 per month instead of a one-time uniform allowance. With regard to the demand for equal pay for equal work and arrears, payment has already been made to eligible employees.As demanded, contractual workers will be extended the benefit of LTC as per the applicable instructions. Directions have also been issued for the annual medical check-ups of sanitation workers and sewermen—regular, contractual and HKRNL—through the Health Department, at the expense of the respective urban local bodies.Furthermore, in-principle approval was given to extend the benefit of the cashless medical policy applicable to government employees to regular employees of urban local bodies, pensioners and their dependents.Besides, the Department has already issued instructions for payment of a risk allowance of Rs 2,000 per month to contractual workers. It was also agreed to extend the risk allowance to regular employees.In the meeting, in-principle approval was also given to enhance the amount under the Mukhyamantri Haryana Karamchari Durghatna Bima Yojana from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh in the event of the death of a contractual sanitation worker while on duty.It was further agreed that contractual workers who open savings accounts with SBI would be provided Rs 50 lakh by the bank in case of accidental death or permanent disability, and Rs 25 lakh in case of partial disability.In-principle approval was also given to include them under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana–CHIRAYU. The annual premium of Rs 9,203 per employee will be paid by the respective urban local body.In-principle approval was also given to provide a total of 20 days of medical leave in a calendar year and to amend the relevant service rules to enable eligible workers to be promoted to clerical (Group C) posts. In-principle approval was also given to increase the monthly wages of contractual sewermen working on municipal rolls by Rs 2,100.It was agreed that after the government determines the process for recruitment against vacant posts of sewermen and Safai Karamcharis, the selection criteria would be finalised within one month, followed by the issuance of an advertisement within 15 days.It was also agreed to revoke the suspension of regular employees. Besides, contractual employees whose services had been terminated would be taken back into service. Further action regarding the withdrawal of cases would be taken as per the rules. The days of the strike period would be adjusted by having the workers perform additional work.It was also agreed that under the Job Security Act, there is a provision for employment of a family member and payment of gratuity following the death of an employee, and the benefit can be extended accordingly.