Chennai: Cleanliness workers rally for permanent jobs, protest SWM privatisation

CHENNAI: Approximately 2,000 sanitation workers from the National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) held a rally and protest on Thursday, demanding permanent employment and condemning the privatisation of Solid Waste Management (SWM) in the city.

The workers, representing zones including Tondiarpet, Royapuram, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, Ambattur, and Anna Nagar, marched from Langs Garden Road to the Rajarathinam Stadium.

Holding placards and chanting slogans, they proceeded despite the rain and held a protest meeting outside the stadium. Prior to the rally, S Kumarasamy, legal advisor of the LTUC, invoked Periyar’s teachings on social justice, and questioned the State government’s commitment to these principles.

“The DMK government celebrated Periyar’s birthday as Social Justice Day on Wednesday. By conducting this rally, we question what social justice is,” he stated.

Kumarasamy emphasised that true social justice would be achieved only when the predominantly low-income workers from Adi Dravidar and Arunthathiyar communities were granted job security. “When these cleanliness workers get justice, on that day, social justice wins in Tamil Nadu,” he said.

During the protest meeting, K Bharathi, State president of the Uzhaipor Urimai Iyyakkam (UUI), highlighted the workers’ plight, noting they have been without work for over 48 days. He affirmed their resolve to continue the protest if their demands were not met.

Following the demonstration, a delegation of three representatives submitted a petition to the Secretary of Labour Welfare and Skill Development, K Veera Raghava Rao.