Workers seek minimum wage implementation

Tamil Nadu Rural Development Labours Union protests in Tiruchi for fair wages, highlighting exploitation of department workers.

Members of the Tamil Nadu Rural Development Labours Union, affiliated with AITUC (All India Trade Union Congress), staged a sit-in protest in Tiruchi demanding the implementation of Government Order (G.O.) No. 62.

The protest, part of a statewide movement, highlighted the plight of rural development department workers across various categories, including sanitation workers, pump operators, health workers, computer operators, superintendents, and multi-purpose health workers. These workers, according to the union, are receiving wages significantly below the minimum wage mandated by the 2017 G.O, the protesters said.

K. Suresh, the AITUC district secretary, said, “Despite the G.O.’s revision in 2017, its implementation remains elusive. These workers continue to be overworked and underpaid for seven years.” Suresh further alleged unfair labor practices, claiming that officials mark workers present for only 26 days despite working all 30 days in a month. Sanitation workers, for example, are reportedly receiving around ₹ 5,000 or less, far below the stipulated minimum wage of ₹ 12,503 as per the G.O.

The protest was addressed by P. Krishnaswamy, the State Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Rural Development Labours Union, and headed by M.R. Murugan, the district president of the union’s Tiruchi unit.