CHENNAI: Despite being detained during a midnight police operation on Wednesday and released on Thursday, sanitary workers protesting the privatisation of solid waste management in Royapuram and Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar zones, outside the Ripon Building for 13 days, have expressed their resolve to continue their agitation.
Acknowledging the prevailing uncertainty, many workers TNIE spoke to said they were firm about not joining the private contractor for a lower salary, even though they would struggle financially without wages for the month.
A worker who managed to avoid detention on Wednesday, said she joined the work in 2013 for a salary of Rs 6,000 a month. After gradual increments, she was earning nearly Rs 23,000 a month only for the past eight months.
“Without my husband, I raised two daughters through this work. Now, with no work since August 1, it has become difficult for us. I received July’s salary, but we don’t know how to pay next month’s rent or manage other daily needs.”
Despite the impending financial stress, she said she would not join the private contractor as there would be no job security and the salary was far less. “We are only demanding what is fair and right. It is the government that has to keep its promise of regularising our jobs,” she stated.
However, she said that many other workers are stuck in the same situation – wanting to continue the struggle while finding other ways to sustain their families’ income.
Another worker said her husband works as a wall painter and is an alcoholic, barely contributing to the family. “Living in Triplicane, I pay Rs 10,000 as rent, manage essential needs, while also raising three school-going daughters. I’m afraid of what lies ahead, but with the associations continuously extending support, we have decided to continue the protest.”
S Kumaraswamy, advisor to the LTUC, told TNIE that the association had petitioned the Greater Chennai police commissioner seeking permission to continue the protest at Rathirathinam Stadium or near Allikulam, one of the designated sites for holding protests. He pointed out that the Madras High Court, while granting permission to evict the protesters near the Ripon Building on Wednesday, had said the protest could continue in another designated location.
“While we have not received a reply yet, we will meet the commissioner tomorrow,” he said, adding that the agitation would go on.
GCC Mayor R Priya had earlier said the protesting workers could join the private contractors before August 31.
