Follow your idols’ principles; accept workers’ demands, union members tell TN government
Otherwise, their protests will continue until the State considers them as Greater Chennai Corporation workers, stated the union members
The Chennai Corporation Red Flag Union and sanitation workers continued their protest demanding an end to privatization in the Chennai Corporation (Photo: Hemanathan)
CHENNAI: LTUC, the union leading the protest, stated that the ruling DMK government should stand with their idols, EVR Periyar and Annadurai, on the workers’ issue and accept their demands.
Otherwise, their protests will continue until the State considers them as Greater Chennai Corporation workers, stated the union members.
Members of Left Trade Union Centre (LTUC), which is leading the NULM cleanliness workers protest for more than 10 days in the city, demanding to cancel the privatisation of solid waste management within the GCC limit, met the media after appearing in the Madras High Court challenging the privatisation.
S Kumarasamy, advisor of LTUC, stated: “The DMK government must follow the footsteps of Periyar and Annadurai. The Dravidar Kazhagam founder had demanded to make the cleanliness workers as government employees.”
LTUC also demanded the State to have discussions with the workers presided by retired Justice K Chandru or retired Justice Hari Paranthaman. “We’ll accept their recommendations without any conditions. We don’t want the protest to be a reason for DMK to lose its power in the State. We want the government to accept the workers’ demand to be treated them as how they were treated before July 31,” he added.
Kumarasamy also accused the State of trying to protract the case proceedings as the GCC had failed to submit a counter affidavit in the court. “They had the counter and shared it with us since we are the petitioner,” he said. “The government is also not willing to conduct negotiations with the workers. We’re ready to hold the talks with the government in public to reach a solution,” said Kumarasamy.
Chief Convenor of Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) Seeman met the protesting workers and conveyed his support. The protestors explained their demands and challenges they have been facing during the protest to him.
After meeting them, Seeman addressed the media and said, “If the State is privatising its duty, then what’s the purpose of GCC and local bodies across Tamil Nadu? Through privatisation, the DMK government is looting several thousands of public money.”
