CHENNAI: At least 10 Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) workers’ associations have issued a joint statement urging the protesting sanitary workers of Royapuram and Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar zones to join work under Chennai Enviro Solutions Private Limited (CESPL), with the offer from the civic body still standing.
Some of these associations had earlier participated in the 13-day sanitary workers’ protest held near the Ripon Building in August last year against the privatisation of solid waste management.
In the latest statement, the associations said the workers could continue to pursue their demands through legal and formal means, and said that “directionless protests” could harm the workers’ livelihood.
Further, the associations criticised the groups (Uzhaippor Urimai Iyakkam and LTUC) spearheading the series of protests, alleging that they were “misleading innocent sanitary workers for selfish purposes”.
They termed the ongoing protests unnecessary while legal cases related to the issue continue to remain pending. According to the statement, the protesting associations were deliberately urging workers not to join private companies and instead demand employment directly under the corporation as temporary self-help group workers.
The joint statement was issued by Chennai Managaratchi Podhu Oozhiyargal Munnetra Sangam, INTUC, AITUC, GCC CS&CI/CM Sangam, among others.
Responding to the criticism, K Suresh, state secretary of the LTUC told TNIE the agitation was not conducted with the intention to be against the government. “Our only expectation is for the government to address the workers’ demands. It is not the associations that are directing the workers, but the workers themselves want to fight for their rights, and we are only guiding them,” he said.
Suresh added unofficial internal discussions were ongoing and expressed hope that the agitation would yield a positive outcome in the coming days.