Chennai, Aug 10 Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran has slammed the Tamil Nadu government for its "poor" handling of the sanitation workers' strike, which has entered its 10th day.
He condemned what he termed "threats in the guise of negotiations" aimed at ending the strike.
The sanitation workers have been protesting in front of the Ripon Building, demanding regularisation of their jobs and opposing the outsourcing of Chennai Corporation’s conservancy work to private contractors.
Workers allege that the DMK government, instead of meeting their demands for protecting public health and sanitation, is attempting to dismantle their "democratic struggle" through intimidation.
Dhinakaran recalled that sanitation workers had risked their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic and other disasters like floods and cyclones, yet their contributions were being disregarded.
He criticised the corporation's approach of negotiating with workers on one hand while accelerating recruitment through private companies on the other, saying it has caused deep resentment among workers. He urged the corporation and the state government to hold talks with the protesting workers' representatives and meet their legitimate demands immediately.
Meanwhile, the strike by National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) sanitation workers in key zones - Royapuram, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, and parts of Ambattur - has continued for tendays, raising fears of a public health crisis.
Although 25 per cent of the striking workers have resumed duty and 2,039 temporary staff have been deployed, garbage has been piling up across these areas. A late-night meeting on Saturday between HR & CE Minister P.K. Sekarbabu, Mayor Priya, GCC Commissioner J. Kumaragurubaran, and the striking workers ended without a breakthrough.
The minister in a statement said that the government would announce a solution after further discussions.
About 3,000 NULM workers are opposing privatisation in zones 5, 6, and 7. GCC officials said 750 workers have joined private contractor Chennai Enviro Solutions, which began operations in zones 5 and 6 on July 19 by appointing temporary staff from self-help groups.
However, residents say the garbage situation has not improved. Overflowing dustbins, rotting waste on streets, and stray animals dragging garbage onto the roads have become common complaints.
"For over a week, the waste has piled up inside our colony, and some residents have started dumping it on the streets," said V.Muruganandan of Nammalwarpet.
A Perambur resident, Selvakumari. P noted that some wards have no replacements for absent workers, leaving garbage collection completely halted.
Despite residents' social media appeals, the problem remains unresolved.
Joint Commissioner (Health) V.P. Jeyaseelan said privatisation had improved service quality and safety in other zones, and the same model was extended to zones 5 and 6. The strike began on August 1 in protest against this move.
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