CHENNAI: For the fourth consecutive day, sanitary workers led by Uzhaippor Urimai Iyakkam (UUI) staged a protest at the Tondiarpet zonal office on Sunday, urging the state government to fulfill their long-pending demands, including job regularisation.
Speaking to TNIE, a police officer said that 80 sanitary workers who protested were detained. They were taken to wedding halls nearby on MTC buses, and were released by around 8.15 pm. “As of now, no FIR has been registered. Legal opinions will be sought, and decisions regarding filing of cases will be made later,” a senior police officer said.
The protesters are demanding job regularisation, an increase in their daily wage to Rs 832, a weekly paid-off, and maternity leave benefits. In addition, the union has sought immediate reinstatement of 13 workers left out of 1,400 workers whom the corporation assured at the high court last year it would take back into service. They are also seeking basic facilities at workplaces.
The union said it had conducted a signature campaign in support of its demands, with state secretaries of CPM, CPI, and CPI(ML), among others, signing it. “We want to meet Municipal Administration Minister and CM C Joseph Vijay to submit the signatures collected, requesting to address our demands,” said UUI president K Bharathi.
Earlier in the day, Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner G S Sameeran met representatives of UUI and held discussions.
The union told reporters that Sameeran assured them that the 13 workers would be reinstated, while most of their demands related to regularisation, wage revision and maternity leave involved policy decisions and would be taken up with higher officials.