CHENNAI: After months of protests by sanitary workers from Royapuram and Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar zones, against the privatisation of solid waste management operations and demanding reinstatement of their jobs, representatives of the Uzhaippor Urimai Iyakkam (UUI), which is spearheading the agitation, met municipal administration and water supply secretary D Karthikeyan on Wednesday and submitted a petition in support of their demands. The officials have purportedly assured them that the issue will be looked into and taken up further.
Earlier in the day, around 350 sanitary workers, along with representatives from 16 labour unions staged a protest near the Chennai collectorate against the alleged illegal termination of sanitary workers in the two zones since August 1, despite their 15-20 years of service. The unions reiterated their demand that the workers be reinstated directly under the Greater Chennai Corporation instead of being employed through Chennai Enviro Solutions Private Limited (Ramky Group).