Government’s talks with striking sanitation workers remain inconclusive in Andhra Pradesh

While the government has termed the discussions as positive, the workers’ unions say they are not satisfied with the outcome

The Group of Ministers holding discussions with the sanitation workers’ unions, at the Secretariat on Tuesday.

The talks the Group of Ministers (GoM) had with the sanitation workers’ unions on January 2 (Tuesday) remained inconclusive as there was no consensus on several of the demands.

Consequently, the leaders of the sanitation workers’ unions asserted that the ongoing agitation would continue across the State.

While the government said that some of the demands put forth by the sanitation workers would be met shortly and that the discussions were positive, the union leaders said they were not satisfied with the outcome.

The GoM delegation comprised A. Suresh (Municipal Administration and Urban Development), B. Satyanarayana (Education) and Government Adviser (Public Affairs) Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, and officials of the departments concerned.

Mr. Suresh later said that the GoM would again hold a meeting with the union leaders on issues such as ‘equal pay for equal work’ after discussing them with Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

The demands such as equal pay for equal work, regularising the services of workers, and converting outsourcing employees into contractual employees were discussed at the meeting.

The unions were also demanding that the outsourcing employees be extended all welfare schemes. They wanted that vacant positions be filled immediately. These apart, they were seeking better vehicles for collecting and transporting garbage in all the urban areas and fixing of basic pay scale for the drainage workers.

Mr. Suresh further said that the government was making alternative arrangements for collection of garbage in the urban areas.

“The impact of the strike is felt only in 50 urban areas,” the Minister claimed.

Anand Rao (YSRTUC State president), A. Ranganayakulu (AITUC State president), Abraham Linkan (IFTU president), G. Prasad (APCITU president), G. Raghurama Raju (TNTUC State president), and Madhubabu (AP MEWU president), G.V.R.K.H. Varaprasad (AICTU State president) attended the meeting on behalf of the workers’ unions.