Municipal workers under the aegis of the GVMC Contract Workers Union (CITU) picketed the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) Office on Tuesday, seeking solutions to their pending problems and immediate implementation of the G.O.151.
Union general secretary T. Nookaraju and its president G. Subba Rao said that the Telugu Desam government had failed in implementing the minimum basic pay of ₹13,000, recommended by the PRC. “Instead, the government had announced only ₹11,000 for public health and non-public health workers. It announced the fixation of minimum wages for outsourcing workers of State government departments as ₹12,000,” they pointed out.
‘CM’s nod awaited’
The government had agreed to enhance the minimum wages for municipal workers to ₹12,000 following a five-day strike by municipal workers from December 18 to 22 last year and give a written assurance in this regard. Principal Secretary (Municipal Administration and Urban Development) Karikal Valevan, Director of Municipal Administration) K. Kanna Babu and Minister for Municipal Administration P. Narayana had all signed on G.O. 151, but the Chief Minister was yet to sign the same, they said.
The union leaders alleged that the municipal workers in GVMC were being made to work all through the year without any holiday and were not even being given safety gears like masks and gloves besides soaps and oil for personal hygiene. They said that the workers had resorted to the strike as they were not paid PF and ESI for the last 13 months, 333 G.O. arrears, identification badges and implementation of minimum wages.
They warned the government of launching an indefinite strike, if G.O. 151 was not implemented for contract and outsourcing workers of the sanitary department, malaria, UGD, water supply, house keeping, engineering, ‘Balyam’, dispensary and other departments. As per the G.O., these workers need to be paid ₹12,000 a month along with the arrears with effect from August, 2016.
Arrest condemned
Union leaders S. Ramana, U. Raju, G. Appa Rao, J. Ramu Naidu, M. Eswara Rao, P. Appala Raju, Venkanna, Ramu, Ratnam and Vijaya were among those who led the protest. The striking workers were later arrested by the police. Meanwhile, CPI-M district committee secretary K. Lokanadham condemned the arrest of the striking workers, who were fighting for their just demands.