Protest against GCC’s move to hand over waste management to private companies

CHENNAI: Members of the Madras Corporation Red Flag Union (CITU) staged a protest at Ripon Building on Wednesday against GCC’s privatisation proposal. The protest comes in the wake of the civic body’s move to privatise solid waste management in Royapuram and ThiruViKa Nagar areas.

“Advocating for the regularisation of contract workers and demanding their permanent employment, we’ll stage a strike on May 20,” protestors said.

They recalled CM Stalin’s promise in the election campaign that cleanliness workers who have been working as contract staff for 10 years would be made permanent. “But now, in the recently concluded monthly council meeting, the resolution was passed to privatise solid waste management in zones 5 and 6. We request that the decision be suspended, and contract workers to be made permanent as promised by the CM,” said P Srinivasalu, general secretary, CITU.

He also alleged that due to the non-permanent nature of this work, recently, women workers are subjected to sexual harassment. “It’s illegal to keep someone who has worked continuously for 480 days as a contract worker for more than 10 years, despite the law requiring permanent employment. Due to the poor maintenance of Battery Operated Vehicles (BOV), while charging the vehicle, Kumar, a contract cleanliness worker, died due to electrocution,” added Srinivasalu.