Laid off conservancy workers in despair, to stage demonstration

CHENNAI: After over 700 temporary conservancy workers were asked not to report for work from January 11, the staff say the civic body has promised to regularise their jobs, even as they struggle to make ends meet. The staff said they would hold demonstrations in front of the Ripon Building for at least a week. The temporary staff members were laid off after Greater Chennai Corporation gave contract to Urbaser SA and Sumeet, to collect garbage in seven zones include Teynampet, Kodambakkam, Adyar, Valasaravakkam, Alandur, Perungudi and Sholinganallur.

Also, another private contractor Ramky has been entrusted to collect garbage from Tiruvottiyur, Manali, Madhavaram and Ambattur zones. “After the privatisation, permanent workers in these zones were being shifted to other zones. Due to this, temporary NULM (National Urban Livelihood Mission) workers have been terminated. Just days before Pongal, the sacking came as a huge shock.

Due to this, hundreds of workers will struggle to eke out a living,” said P Sreenivasulu, general secretary, Madras Corporation Red Flag Union. A conservancy worker who was sacked recently, said on condition of anonymity, “I have worked over-time during the pandemic. I have been working for nearly a decade and during the December 2015 deluge, too, I served the public.”

Some workers said they turned up for work despite being denied money and day-offs. “I am the sole breadwinner in the six-member family. This has devastated us. When talks of privatisation were on, we were promised that jobs will be protected. However, we are the first ones to be sacked,” said K Amudha, one of the workers. When contacted, the officials remained tight-lipped and said it was being discussed.