Ready to clear trash without pay for public, say cleanliness workers protesting privatisation

CHENNAI: Even as they continued their protest against privatising garbage collection in Royapuram and Thiru Vi Ka Nagar zones, the cleanliness workers said on Wednesday that they were ready to clean the piled-up waste without salary to ensure that it did not affect the health and safety of the public.

“The talks with the government was neither a success nor a failure; the government has initiated a step to hear the plight of the cleanliness workers,” said S Kumarasamy, adviser of the Left Trade Union Centre (LTUC), which is leading the protest.

Several hundred cleanliness workers have been on an indefinite protest outside Ripon Building since Saturday. On Wednesday, Municipal Administration and Water Supply Minister KN Nehru, CMDA chairman Minister PK Sekarbabu, Mayor R Priya, Deputy Mayor M Magesh Kumaar, and Commissioner J Kumaragurubaran met their representatives.

Emerging from the meeting, LTUC leaders said the government did not accept its demand to maintain the status quo as it existed before July 31. However, both sides have agreed to hold another meeting to find a solution.

Deputy Mayor Magesh Kumaar said the government is ready to ensure that the workers receive the same salary as they have been getting under the National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM). The protest would end soon, he added.

The Corporation’s move to privatise garbage collection in Royapuram and Thiru Vi Ka Nagar was illegal in view of Government Orders 411 and 412 issued on July 28, said Kumarasamy. “As the matter is pending before the tribunal, handing over the work to private party is illegal,” he added.

Considering public health risks, the workers were ready to clear the piled-up garbage in the two zones on Friday and Saturday without any salary, the organisation said, and urged the State to come forward to accept the workers’ demands.