Madurai
Over 100 panchayat workers affiliated with the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) staged a demonstration and petitioned the Collector here on Tuesday, urging the district administration to implement the wage hike announced by the government.
The protesters included overhead tank operators and conservancy workers of the village panchayats in the district. K. Thangavel Pandian, a protester, said that the wage hike issued for the overhead tank operators and conservancy workers was not implemented across the district.
“The workers toiled for long hours every day to help in containing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. But, they earn a pittance as wages every month,” he said.
The protesters also demanded the district administration to pay one month's salary as bonus for Deepavali festival. They urged the district administration to settle the arrears of the workers before Deepavali.
The workers who were paid salary on a time scale basis must be given pension and gratuity after their retirement above 60 years, demanded the protesters.