MAYILADUTHURAI: Over 70 contract sanitation workers of Sirkazhi Municipality withdrew a two day sit-in protest on Friday after their contractor deposited their contributions deducted this year, except for September and November, into their respective Employees Provident Fund (EPF) account.
Also, he gave them an assurance to pay half of employer’s contribution soon, sources said. According to sources 72 contract workers have been employed under a private contractor, Tectus Infra Private Ltd, since March for daily wage of Rs 460 to handle waste collection and cleaning operations. Workers alleged that the contractor did not deposit their 12% contribution and employer’s 13 % share to the EPF account for nearly three months.
The workers said they had informed the district collector, municipal commissioner, and senior revenue department officials about this, but since no action was taken, they started a sit-in protest on Thursday. The 72 workers sat on a protest inside the municipality office.
On Friday, the protest was withdrawn after the contractors deposited the amount and submitted the receipt. The contractors, in writing to the workers, promised that they would pay the employer’s contribution to the EPF soon. A municipality official said that the contractors have been instructed to pay their part to EPF.