Coimbatore, Nov. 27
Sanitary workers under contract with the City Municipal Corporation and affiliated to Tamil Nadu Conservancy Workers Trade Union staged a sit- in protest at the City Corporation premises today, reiterating their long-pending demand for a hike in their daily wage.
"We have been demanding the wage hike for sanitary workers on contract for the last several months and submitted a petition in this regard to both District Collector and the City Corporation Commissioner. They have assured us not so long ago that it would be implemented soon, but there is no positive sign yet,“ lamented, Mr. Ravi Kumar, Organiser, Tamil Nadu Conservancy Workers Trade Union.
According to him, sanitary workers are mostly from marginalised sections of the society whose legitimate demands such as wage hike from the present Rs 302 to Rs 350 and benefits under government social security schemes are genuine and merit serious consideration.
He also pointed out the imperative need for implementation of provisions of The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act 2013 in both letter and spirit so as to make sanitary workers lead a life with dignity.
Later, a few members of Tamil Nadu Conservancy Workers Union submitted a petition, reiterating their demand to Mrs. P. Gandhimathi, Deputy Commissioner, City Municipal Corporation.
More than 50 sanitary workers took part in the sit-in protest.