THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Hundreds of sanitation workers and waste collectors affiliated to various labour unions in the capital city have protested against the city corporation's move to seize their vehicles and imposing fines on them for collecting waste. The corporation said it took action after the workers cleaned waste without getting prior approval.
Interestingly, a major chunk of workers protesting against the LDF-led corporation's move are affiliated to CITU. Last Saturday, they protested with placards in front of the civic body's office, but to no avail. Though they are employed with private agencies, the corporation had engaged them for cleaning work due to shortage of staff.
"The Haritha Karma Sena of the corporation along with some big private agencies are influencing health inspectors and other staff of the civic body into seizing our vehicles and imposing huge fines on us. These agencies only want to make money by recycling the collected waste," said Ajith Baby, one of the sanitation workers affected by the decision.
"We have been cleaning the capital city ever since the Vilappilsala waste treatment plant closed down. The city is clean due to us working round the clock. We used to clean various places, collect food and plastic waste in vehicles and hand it over to the respective private agencies. The corporation staff came to these spots, blocked our work and seized the vehicles. I was fined Rs 25,500. I could not pay it and have been out of work for the past one month as a result," he said. As many as 365 CITU workers have protested against the corporation's move.
Opposition leader in the corporation MR Gopan said the governing council had stooped so low that even labour unions from its own political front were protesting against it alleging corruption. "This is proof the corporation has become a place of corruption," he said.
A senior corporation official told The New Indian Express that discussions are going on and expressed hope that the issue will be resolved soon. "We fined the workers and seized their vehicles as they carried out cleaning works without getting our approval first. Meetings are going on now with the CITU workers to solve the problem," said the official.