Punjab has ended its strike after the state government has agreed to pay workers more money and make some long-standing demands for them to be paid and the government has also agreed to take steps to address them.
It comes as a relief for residents who had been hit by the protest and garbage collection and sanitation services were disrupted.
The strike by several sanitation workers’ unions had disrupted municipal services in various cities and towns across Punjab. At residential areas, markets and public spaces waste had been piled up and public health was at risk. Because garbage collection was coming to a standstill in many places, local authorities had to respond soon.
Punjab government and union representatives have reached an agreement of a pay hike for sanitation workers after talks between union representatives and the Punjab government were reached and both sides reached an agreement to pay raise for sanitation workers.
Also, the government assured workers that other employment-related issues will be examined and resolved in a gradual way.
Union leaders welcomed the government’s decision, saying that the salary revision acknowledges the hard work and essential role played by sanitation workers in maintaining public cleanliness.
They also expressed hope that the government would fulfill the remaining promises made during the discussions.
Punjab officials said the increase in salary is part of a wider effort to better the welfare of municipal workers. Sanitation workers are frontline public service employees and their contribution to health emergencies, festivals, and adverse weather conditions is particularly important, they said.
Now that the strike has officially ended, municipalities and local governments in the state are back to work to collect the trash.
Sustained sanitation teams will be placed in charge of the areas where garbage has been collected during the protest to bring order back as quickly as possible.
Tarn Taran, Punjab: The protest by sanitation workers and other employees entered its 21st day, with key demands including regularisation of contractual staff, a salary hike, and the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme. The ongoing strike has led to heaps of garbage piling up… pic.twitter.com/zvd1hkXITt
— IANS (@ians_india) July 27, 2026
Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala, and Bathinda town residents have welcomed this development with relief that basic civic services are back on track. Municipal officials have also appealed to citizens to cooperate with sanitation workers in order to clear the backlog of waste.
The agreement has been regarded by labour experts as one of the greatest that government and workers need to talk to each other.
When we can have these discussions early in the process and avoid the disruption of essential public services and the treatment of workers, we can then take effect.
The strike also indicates how much labor is now working for sanitation workers working in hard jobs in conditions like these. Better wages and better conditions of employment should bring about better morale and services.
The immediate crisis is resolved, but union representatives have said they will continue to work with the government on contractual employees, social security benefits, and workplace safety measures.
The successful outcome of the talks is a positive step for both the Punjab government and sanitation workers.
Residents will see that as waste collection is resumed across the state, civic services will start to return to normal and workers and authorities should work together to provide basic public services.
