CHENNAI: City police on Monday detained hundreds of conservancy workers from Royapuram and Thiru Vi Ka Nagar zones after they entered the Cooum river stretch near Egmore as part of their protest against the privatisation of solid waste management.
The workers were demanding regularisation and reinstatement of their jobs directly under the civic body. They were later released. The protest marked its 158th day, including 50 days of an indefinite hunger strike.
Speaking to reporters, K Bharathi, Uzhaippor Urimai Iyakkam president, said, “Ministers from other departments such as health and education have held talks with protesting workers in their respective departments and ensured relief for the workers while addressing their demands of job regularisation for nurses, and pension demands for government staff and teachers.
But, why is Minister for Municipal Administration, Urban and Water Supply KN Nehru hesitating to address sanitary workers’ demands? When the government is ready to spend on other department workers, why not on sanitary workers?”
Bharathi also urged Chief Minister MK Stalin to intervene before Pongal.