CMWSSB staff to go on indefinite strike from March 12

“More than 700 employees in the Metrowater are temporary workers working with the lowest wage. We are demanding the management to make the employees permanent and ensure minimum wage fixed by the district collector,” C Sathyanathan, vice president or CMWSSB employees association, said.

The association had conducted an agitation near the Board’s headquarters in Chintadripet and submitted a strike notice to the officials, on Wednesday.

Sathyanathan added that many contract workers are given mere Rs 140 per day, contravening the Collector’s order. “Drivers, who are also the operators of Jet Rodding machines and other employees cleaning the sewage lines will participate in the strike. 

While permanent drivers are getting up to Rs 40,000 per month, temporary drivers are getting just Rs 14,000. We demand equal pay,” he added.

Emphasising the permanent employee status to temporary employees, protestors said that as many as 14 employees had lost their lives while cleaning the underground sewage lines. “If they were permanent employees, their families would have received benefits,” workers said.

Meanwhile, field workers who are permanent employees riled that they would join as field workers and retire as field workers without any promotion. Now, they have demanded promotion every 10 years. Officials said that they would sort the issues with the employees soon.