TIRUCHY: Permanent workers in the Tiruchy Corporation are staring at a mounting workload, with their strength steadily dwindling. The number of permanent staff, which stood at 1,220 in 2019, has now shrunk to 720 with 500 retiring over the past seven years. With another 30 workers retiring in the next six months, the permanent workers have urged the corporation to fill vacant posts and ensure adequate manpower in all wards to reduce mounting workload and work beyond duty hours.
Though the corporation engaged 1,800 contractual workers through outsourcing agencies in 2023, these workers do not take over the duties performed by regular staff, leaving the permanent workers shoulder additional burden.
According to sources, the corporation provides door-to-door solid waste management services to more than three lakh households across 65 wards, besides covering commercial establishments.
Permanent workers are mainly involved in cleaning roads, clearing stormwater drains and special sanitation drives in all wards. Contractual workers handle door-to-door waste collection, sweeping of roads, waste segregation and are also deployed for special cleaning operations only at bus stands.
The city generates around 400 tonnes of solid waste every day, with biodegradable waste converted into compost at 38 micro compost centres. Permanent workers are also deployed for extended hours during temple festivals, political meetings, school functions and other special events, sources said.
With 500 of them retiring in seven years, and contractual workers not preferred for such work owing to lack of experience, there is a growing shortage of workforce to handle the volume of work. Absenteeism also results in workers having to cover additional areas and work beyond their normal hours.
Workers and councillors have repeatedly raised the issue during council meetings, but allege that no effective steps have been taken to employ more permanent workers.
Speaking to TNIE, a 40-year-old woman sanitary worker from Srirangam zone said, “Workers were required to report for duty at 6 am and wrap up by 2 pm. But, we often continue working until 4 or 5 pm. We do not receive additional wages for the extra hours and our salary has also remained the same for years.
We are employed under the ‘no work, no pay’ system, which makes it difficult to take leave. If we take a day or two off due to an emergency, we are sometimes assigned work in another zone by the contractor. This should be stopped. We also need at least one paid off day every week.”
“Many women workers have health issues, and some do not know driving.
Women workers should preferably be deployed within their respective zones instead of being shifted from one zone to another,” she added.
A 50-year-old permanent worker from Woraiyur said, “There are only four to six permanent workers in some wards. If even one worker takes leave, workload on the others increases considerably.”
Ward 23 councillor K Suresh Kumar (CPI) said, “A ward needs at least 40 workers to manage sanitation work effectively, but currently only around 15-20 workers are deployed in many places. Sometimes, when workers are absent, others have to cover additional areas.”
City health officer M Karthikeyan told TNIE, “We have received complaints. The number of workers is declining every month due to regular retirements. We have sent a report to the government on manpower shortage. The government will take decision.”
Tiruchy Corporation Commissioner Veera Pratap Singh told TNIE, “We have instructed the workers to adhere to the scheduled working hours. If any worker is found working beyond the scheduled hours, I will instruct the city health officer to ensure that nobody is burdened.”
