Garbage collection was partially affected in a few areas of the city following protests by a group of temporary conservancy workers at Ripon Buildings on Thursday. The alleged that they were not paid the full amount of their wages and that many of their demands, including housing facilities, had not been met.
The protest that started in the morning continued till late in the night.
“In the evening, senior officials assured us that were would be paid our wages in full, which is Rs. 297 per day. However, they were silent about meeting our other demands,” said G. Munuswamy, joint secretary of Corporation Red Flag Union.
Lack of prompt replacement of spare parts in compactors and trucks was another issue that was raised by the protesters, who alleged that accidents caused by Corporation vehicles in the city were on the rise.
“Workers are seeking an end to the irregularities. We have also demanded regularisation of nominal muster roll workers. At least 908 are on the rolls and 40 have already died,” said Mr. Munuswamy.
The workers demanded that payment of wages to over 4,000 temporary workers be made on time. The protesters alleged that some workers marked their attendance in a register, but did not report for work to clear garbage.
There are more than 9,700 permanent conservancy workers on the rolls of the Corporation who record their attendance in the biometric system. They receive a monthly salary, while temporary workers earn Rs. 297 a day.
Protesters said that accidents caused by Corporation vehicles were
on the rise
