Thiruvananthapuram Corporation reinstates suspended workers

Civic body withdraws decision to terminate services of four temporary cleaning staff

Illuminated Corporation building in Thiruvananthapuram during the Onam Tourism Week celebrations. | Photo Credit: S. Gopakumar

The Thiruvananthapuram city Corporation has decided to reinstate seven sanitation workers who were suspended last week for dumping food served as Onasadya in a waste bin in protest against being made to work during their planned Onam celebrations. The civic body has also withdrawn the decision to terminate the services of four temporary cleaning staff.

The decision to suspend the sanitation workers had led to a huge uproar in the past few days, with the Corporation facing criticism for its alleged over-reaction against the workers.

In a press release on Tuesday, the Corporation said the administration is sympathetic to protests, but is against a form of protest which involves the dumping of food meant to eat. The workers were reinstated based on a promise from them and the unions that they would not resort to such modes of protest again.

Following the suspensions and dismissals, the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) as well as the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) had condemned the action and demanded that the workers be reinstated.

According to the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation Workers' Association, affiliated to CITU, the workers had reported for work on September 5 at 5 a.m, instead of 7 a.m, as they had planned to celebrate Onam. They had finished the day's work by around 9 a.m and had cleared a space near the Chala health circle office for organising Onam celebrations. However, a junior health inspector arrived at the spot with a tipper lorry and took them for drain cleaning work at Attakkulangara, pouring cold water on their celebrations and leading to the protests.

Three days later, CPI(M) State secretary M.V.Govindan said it is not the party's stance to suspend or dismiss anyone for taking part in protests, indicating that the party would prevail over the Corporation administration to reverse the action taken against the protesting workers.

The decision is learnt to have been arrived at after discussions between the party and union leaderships and the Corporation administration.