Cleanliness workers of Pugalur Municipality in Karur protest over non-revision of wages

TIRUCHY: The cleanliness workers from the Pugalur Municipality in Karur boycotted waste collection activities on Monday and protested against wage discrepancies.

According to the protesting workers, there are over 300 cleanliness workers, including 110 contract workers, involved in cleanliness work across the Pugalur Municipality. They claimed they were receiving Rs 400 per day for an eight-hour shift and had demanded revised wages per the norms.

They also said that they were involved in a single shift on Sundays, but after the change in government, the new commissioner, Venkatachalapathy, has been asking them to come for two shifts on Sundays to be eligible for a proper daily wage.

They also boycotted the work and raised slogans against the civic administration. On information, the Commissioner Venkatachalapathy held talks with the protesting members but he failed to convince them.

Later, the Municipal Chairman Gunasekaran rushed to the spot and held talks with the protesting workers and upon his assurance on wage revision and reverting to the older shift system, they withdrew their protest and returned to work.