Vizag sanitation workers launch 72-hour strike

Members of the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation Contract Workers Union taking out a rally as part of Statewide Municipal Employees and Workers Strike, in Visakhapatnam on Monday. Photo: A. Manikanta Kumar

Outsourced sanitation workers owing allegiance to A P Municipal Workers and Employees Union, affiliated to CITU, began a 72-hour strike on Monday.

Demands in the State-wide strike include increasing the minimum wages from Rs.7,500 to Rs.12,500 a month and a compensation of Rs.5 lakh in case of death of worker.

Municipal Commissioner M. V. Satyanarayana told reporters that of the 5,000 outsourced workers under ‘Subhram’ sanitation scheme, 2,000 were on strike.

The workers are concentrated mostly in Pendurti and Gajuwaka zones.

He said vehicular movement for lifting garbage was not affected.

Some alternative arrangement by deployment of workers was made.

The recognised union affiliated to AITUC is not supporting the strike, it was learnt.