Workers stage sit-in protest

MADURAI

Re-asserting their long-pending demands, conservancy workers affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), staged a sit-in protest on the premises of the Corporation here on Monday.

CITU general secretary M. Balasubramaniam said that the protest was jointly undertaken by associations including the Madurai Corporation Workers Association (CITU) and (VCK) etc.

Their 28-charter of demands included eliminating irregularities in their Provident Fund and Employees’ State Insurance cards. The protestors demanded disbursing of minimum wages for daily, contract and consolidated workers as per the revised G.O.

A corporation worker of ward 3 alleged that they were forced to remove dog carcasses with no safety equipment given by the contractor or the Corporation.

“Most of us are only provided with damaged and broken buckets and worn out brooms to carry out conservancy works,” said M. Rani, a contract worker at Sellur.

“Residents too force us to collect garbage with bare hands, else they threaten to raise complaints. We have no choice but to oblige,” she alleged.

The lack of manpower is another mounting issue. “A single worker covers up for three workers in additional wards as well. How is that humane?,” they protested.