Conservancy workers strike work, demand cash payment

Door-to-door collection of garbage not carried out in Ambattur

Conservancy workers employed by the Greater Chennai Corporation struck work in Zone 7 (Ambattur) on Tuesday, demanding that their salaries be paid in cash.

Residents of Ambattur were surprised on Monday as door-to-door garbage collection was not done. As their demands had not been met for a fortnight after the demonetisation move, conservancy workers gathered outside the Ambattur Corporation zone office seeking their salaries.

There are over 1,400 workers engaged in garbage collection in Ambattur zone alone. L. Sundararajan, president of Chennai Corporation Red Flag Union, said these workers were engaged under the National Urban Livelihoods Mission and were divided into groups of 20 persons. Each group had a representative, who was given the salary for the entire team.

Each worker earned a salary of nearly Rs.10,000. However, after the demonetisation move, it was difficult to withdraw the entire amount and distribute it among the workers.

Though the issue was brought to the notice of the civic body officials, action was not taken to provide the salaries, he said.

Daily struggle

“Officials told us they were unable to pay in cash as they too received old currency notes and were unable to carry out transactions. Workers did not have cash to even manage their daily expenses,” he said.

At the end of the protest, officials agreed to provide cheques to individual workers and also help open bank accounts to deposit them, Mr. Sundararajan added.

Officials agreed to pay the workers

by cheque and also help them open

bank accounts