A section of contract workers, who were engaged in door-to-door surveillance for COVID-19 by Madurai Corporation till September, petitioned the Collector here on Monday, demanding disbursal of salary for September.
M. Shenbaga Raj, a petitioner, said hundreds of workers were hired on a contract basis in June for door-to-door screening in the 100 wards of the Corporation. However, the workers were asked to quit the job on September 23 without prior notice. “It has been more than a month since we were asked to leave the job. But we still haven't received our salary for September,” he said.
A. Jayakumar, another petitioner, said while the Corporation officials say they have disbursed the salary, the contractors say they have not received the money from the Corporation. “In this confusion, the workers are ultimately affected,” he said.
Being without a job during Deepavali festival was deeply impacting the workers, he added. “Despite testing positive for COVID-19, many workers continued performing their duty. Hence, the district administration must consider providing alternative job opportunities,” said Mr. Jayakumar.
