Having stirred a hornet’s nest by directing a private agency to take up household garbage collection in Old City a few days ago and thereby earning the wrath of sanitary workers, Mayor Mohd. Majid Hussain has begun to sing a different tune.
In a communication to the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Employees’ Union (GHMEU) president U. Gopal, the Mayor extended his wholehearted support to workers’ demands. “After examining the gravity of the issue I feel their grievances are genuine and justified,” he said in the letter.
It was only fair that Ramky takes up any work as part of the implementation of the solid waste management project only “after obtaining due consent” of workers so that their apprehension of becoming jobless is addressed, he said. Mr. Hussain, who was buttonholed by sanitary workers before the scheduled general body meeting on Saturday, also pointed out that several employees were working on contract for the last 15-20 years and said that converting them into the NMR category should be taken up without any delay as was done in the APSRTC.
House sites
The long-standing demand of workers that they be granted suitable house sites will be given due preference, he said. Mr. Hussain had earlier said that the Ramky deal was signed by the government before he took over as Mayor.
