CHENNAI: After protests by the sanitation workers working at Primary Health Centers for keeping them on a contract basis, the State health department has now posted them as multipurpose health workers.
There are more than 3,000 sanitary workers who were posted in the Primary Health Centers on a 12-hour basis shift. Their salaries remained the same for more than seven years and they have been paid a salary of Rs 1,500 per month.
The members of Tamil Nadu PHC Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) Sanitary Workers Welfare Association, along with the Doctors Association for Social Equality had raised the issue to increase their salaries and also held a demonstration regarding the same.
The health department officials had promised to take action in this regard.
The State health department has now posted the sanitary workers as multipurpose health workers, with a monthly salary of Rs 15,000.
The State government has stated that the remaining sanitary workers will be appointed as multipurpose health workers and given a hike in the salary when the vacancies for the multipurpose health workers are created.
The Doctor's Association for Social Equality and Tamil Nadu PHC Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) Sanitary Workers Welfare Association, held a press meet thanking the health department for the move.
"People belonging to socially and economically backward and oppressed communities cannot achieve social liberation without economic liberation. For those earning only Rs 1,500 a month, a pay hike of Rs 15,000 a month is the first milestone towards economic liberation. It is a great victory for social justice," said Dr G R Ravindranath, Secretary of Doctor's Association for Social Equality.