Action should be taken against private companies that mistreated their employees

MADURAI: Hundreds of sanitation workers associated with the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) staged a sit-in protest at the zonal corporation office in Aanaiyur in Madurai on Tuesday, alleging that the private company, which has been tasked to handle the sanitation staff in the city, was mistreating the workers.

Speaking to TNIE, Balasubramanian, a leader of the sanitation workers’ association, alleged that there was an incident wherein a supervisor of the private company had spoken ill of a female sanitation worker in the city. Despite lodging complaints against the supervisor, no action was taken, he said, urging the city corporation to conduct an inquiry and ensure action.

“Since the privatisation of sanitation works under the city corporation, several sanitation workers continue to be mistreated by the private company. Even when the workers are late only by few minutes, it gets marked as half-day leave, thereby significantly affecting their pay. Hence, the biometric attendance system should be withdrawn,” Balasubramanian said.

He further added that though the corporation council had revised the pay of sanitation staff to Rs 721/day, the decision is yet to come into effect. Immediate action should be taken to implement the wage hike, he said. Meanwhile, the workers announced that massive protests will be staged in all 100 wards in the coming days, if the corporation fails to address their demands.