The Tamil Nadu Arasu Neechalkula Paniyaalargal Sangam (Tamil Nadu Government Swimming Pool Workers' Association) would observe a State-wide fast on August 16 in Chennai, said State president of The Tamil Nadu Government Employees Association (TNGEA) K. Balasubramanian here on Monday.
Speaking to reporters, he said that under the Tamil Nadu Sports Development Authority, swimming pools were functioning in 20 districts. Around 150 workers had been employed to maintain the pools, since 2004. They were responsible for many students getting trained and participating in swimming competitions.
These workers had been receiving a paltry salary of Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 3,250, as fixed by the respective Collectors, Mr. Balasubramanian said and added that similar was the plight of many employees in other departments such as anganwadis and TASMAC-run IMFL retail outlets.
He appealed to the government to regularise the services of swimming pool workers.
To a pointed query, Mr. Balasubramanian said that there were around three lakh people whose employment in the government departments were either contractual or outsourced in the State. He urged the governments to fill the two lakh vacancies in Central and State government departments in the State. The TNGEA would participate in the all-India strike proposed on September 7 by the national unions condemning sale of shares of profit making public sector units to private parties.