Hours after the Punjab Government announced a welfare package for protesting safai sevaks and sewermen, the sanitation workers’ union declared that the strike would continue, rejecting the offer.The union strongly opposed the hike in the monthly salary of contractual sanitation workers to Rs 20,520 from August 1. Union leaders said that after deductions, workers would receive only around Rs 16,000 a month. “We have demanded a minimum salary of Rs 40,000. We have rejected the offer,” said Gai Chand, General Secretary of the Safai Karamchari Union.The employees have also objected the age cap of 45 years to regularised the contractual workers.“Of the total 30,000 work force, at least 15 per cent have crossed the age of 45. Many had been recruited on contract about four years ago. The government should relax the age bar,” said Kuldeep Singh, state advisor from the Safai Karamchari union. On Tuesday night, the Punjab Government had announced a welfare package for safai sevaks and sewermen working in urban local bodies.The government has decided to bring outsourced sanitation workers with three years of continuous service under direct contract, regularise contractual workers who have completed five years of service along with those engaged in 2021, and revise the monthly remuneration of contractual sanitation staff to Rs 20,520 with effect from August 1.Local Government Minister Harjot Bains said, “Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had said the the state had approved the immediate conversion of safai sevaks and sewermen working on outsourcing in municipal corporations, municipal councils and nagar panchayats who have completed three years of service into direct contractual employees. This decision will provide major relief to our safai sevaks and sewermen.”“The CM has also decided that all contractual safai sevaks and sewermen who have completed five years of service, along with all those engaged in 2021, will be regularised. This is a historic step that will ensure the welfare of every safai sevak and sewerman serving in Punjab.”Bains said, “All municipal corporations, municipal councils and nagar panchayats have been directed to place the matter before their respective houses and pass resolutions. Urban local bodies have complete service records of every worker. Once each house forwards its resolution along with the details of eligible employees, the state government will issue the final approval. The faster a municipal body sends its proposal, the faster we will approve it and complete the process of regularisation.”