Hundreds of sanitary workers from various parts of the city gathered at Munichalai here to protest lack of basic amenities and delayed salary payment by the Corporation on Tuesday.
Workers employed through contractors said that their salary often arrived only on the 15th or 16th day of every month.
A. Bose, State secretary of the Sanitary Workers’ Welfare Association, who addressed the workers, alleged that the contracts were chosen to honour political favours.
He said that the workers are not given uniforms, benefits of dignity of labour.
“Workers turn garbage into gold but they are not treated properly. Without requisite equipment like tricycles, we have no choice but to dump the biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste together,” he said.
The association sought the ending of contract employment. S. Bhoominathan, Madurai district coordinator of the association, said, “Our entire day’s pay is cut, even if we are late by 15 minutes. We do not mind coming on time if basic dignity is ensured. Let the government and the district administration give us salary directly because contractors are ruthless.”
The secretary said that he and the fellow workers had met with the Commissioner several times but had not received a response from him. Nothing can be done unless the government looks into our plight, he said.
M. Nagaraj, a worker, said that health benefits were key to the uplift of their status. The families of sanitary workers who had died during their service due to wear and tear did not receive any aid from the government, he said.
