CHENNAI: Around 200 sanitary workers from the Ambattur zone staged a protest outside the Ambattur office on Saturday, refusing to wear the uniforms mandated by the city corporation, claiming them to be uncomfortable. The protest escalated when the workers blocked the vehicle of Regional Deputy Commissioner (Central) H R Koushik around 8:30 pm, demanding the withdrawal of the uniform rule. Several police officials were deployed at the site from the afternoon and remained until 9 pm, after which the protesters dispersed.
One of the protesters reported having sustained injury while police attempted to disperse them. TNIE’s attempt to contact the corporation officials for a comment did not yield any response.
Meanwhile, on the death anniversary of BR Ambedkar, sanitary workers from the Royapuram and Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar zones, who have been protesting for over 125 days demanding reinstatement of their jobs directly under the GCC, visited the Ambedkar statue at Periamet along with the petition.
They were later called to the Ripon Building, where they met corporation joint commissioner K Karpagam. “The pertitions would be forwarded to mayor R Priya,” he said.