Sanitation workers extend Chennai protest, want to meet CM
Sanitation workers affiliated with Uzhaippor Urimai Iyakkam continued their protest at the Ripon Buildings complex for a seventh day on Wednesday.
The workers said the Greater Chennai Corporation had assured them that 13 employees who were excluded from an earlier reinstatement process would be brought back into service. Despite the assurance, the protest is expected to continue until Saturday while the workers wait for a meeting with Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay.
K Suresh, state secretary of LTUC, said the civic body had indicated that the 13 workers could be reinstated by Thursday. He added that School Education Minister A Rajmohan had assured the union that efforts would be made to facilitate a meeting with the chief minister.
The dispute follows last year’s agitation by sanitation workers over the outsourcing of garbage collection. During proceedings before the Madras High Court, the corporation had assured the court that the workers would be reinstated. About 1,400 employees returned to work in February, but 13 were reportedly excluded.
The protesters are also seeking permanent employment, an increase in daily wages to Rs 832 in line with the rate fixed by the Chennai collector, maternity and menstrual leave, housing facilities and office space for their union.
Rajmohan met worker representatives on Monday. According to the union, he considered most of their demands reasonable, with job regularisation being the main exception. The minister also promised to explore a meeting between the workers and the chief minister.
A disagreement between police and protesters had caused tension on Tuesday, after workers alleged that they were stopped from holding their demonstration at Ripon Buildings. Police rejected the allegation. The protest went ahead peacefully on Wednesday from 4 pm to 6 pm.