THOOTHUKUDI: After more than 300 sanitation workers, backed by the All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), staged a demonstration demanding festival bonus in front of the corporation office on Monday, Mayor N Jegan Periyasamy directed the private outsourcing agency employing them to disburse a bonus of Rs 3,000. Across the 60 wards of the corporation, the workers ceased to collect household waste in protest against the agency on Monday.
AICCTU State Vice President T Sahayam said the outsourcing agency had credited a salary advance of Rs 5,000 each for the workers to avoid holding negotiations regarding the festival bonus. “The firm deducted Rs 1,000 from the salary advance as interest. The salary advance does not amount to a festival bonus,” said Mariammal, one of the workers. She said the workers are assigned duty even on festival days and weekends.
Following the demonstration, civic officials held talks with the associations and the representatives of the private agency. The employer claimed there was no clause in their agreement with the corporation to provide festival bonus to the workers. However, the labour department confirmed that any firm employing more than 20 workers is supposed to grant a month’s salary as festival bonus. As the negotiations fell through, the mayor intervened, discussed with the representatives of the agency, and directed the employer to distribute Rs 3,000 as a Deepavali bonus.