THOOTHUKUDI: Boycotting work, over 200 contract conservancy workers staged a road block protest at Palayamkottai road for four hours on Wednesday, condemning the wage cut.
The contract-based conservancy workers hired by private companies complained that they and the vehicle drivers are paid Rs 460 and Rs 558 respectively, which is Rs 37 and Rs 40 less than what was prescribed by the collector, that is Rs 497 for conservancy staff, and Rs 598 for drivers per day.
They also condemned the private company for not reinstating workers transferred to other zones, by adhering to the labour department’s advice. The private company had not divulged its respective accounts of the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF).
A woman worker said that they clean the city and segregate waste generated every day. However, they are not given the due wages. Instead, they are given a target to generate at least 800 kg per vehicle and the corporation has over 150 garbage collection vehicles.
Another woman said that they ought to manually segregate at least 12 different waste, such as used diapers, plastics, vegetables, other degradable and non-degradable wastes, slippers, clothes, and the carcasses of dead cats and dogs. “Sometimes we remove this waste by hand as safety gear is not given,” she said.
Urging to cancel the labour contract of the private company, the conservancy workers said, “What do they do by unlawfully deducting our wages? The manager of the private company switches off their mobile phones and refuses to meet us. Corporation Mayor Jegan N Periyasamy held talks with the protesters and assured them that he would address their needs.
When asked, corporation commissioner Banoth Mrugender Lal said that he will check into the allegations, and actions will be initiated against the private firm. However, he did not meet the protestors despite multiple requests.
The protestors were led by T Sahayam, honorary president of Thooimai Bharatha Iyakkam, blocked the Palayamkottai road, the key road leading to the smart city bus stand, leading to a traffic congestion. The buses and other vehicles were diverted. Anti-Sterlite activists, retired professor Fatima Babu, and Thermal Raja joined the protest.