Sanitation workers drop agitation plan

The indefinite strike by the workers, engaged for conservancy services in Thanjavur Corporation, has been withdrawn.

Inquiries reveal that the workers engaged by a private contractor for garbage collection and segregation services in Thanjavur Corporation wards planned indefinite strike from October 26 in support of their demands. Subsequently, the civic body authorities held a meeting with workers’ unions such as AITUC and the Tamil Nadu Local Body Employees Association representatives, wherein the demands of civic body workers were accepted.

TNLBEA functionaries told presspersons that the civic body officials, led by Commissioner Deepanavisveswari, has assured them that the private conservancy services contract would be withdrawn by October 31 and self-help groups would take over the execution of garbage collection, segregation, and disposal from November 1.

The pending PF and EPF contribution amounts of the employees would be remitted from the caution deposit made by the private contractor. The civic body agreed to disburse double wages on government holidays and triple wages on national holidays to conservancy workers after getting clearance from the government, they added.