Nagapattinam sanitation workers call off three-day strike, to get a raise in wages

The three-day onslaught by declaration sanitation workers and drivers attached to the Nagapattinam Municipality ended connected Sunday aft talks involving the territory administration, municipal officials, and national representatives resulted successful a partial statement connected cardinal demands.

Under the settlement, workers volition person a ₹50 summation successful their regular wage, taking it to ₹400 a day, and a Deepavali beforehand of ₹7,000, which volition beryllium provided arsenic an interest-free indebtedness to beryllium recovered successful monthly instalments. Officials assured the gathering that pending Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) and Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS) contributions would beryllium deposited wrong 15 days with passbooks issued to each workers.

The strike, organised by the CITU-affiliated Sanitary Workers’ Union, began 3 days agone demanding the implementation of the 2025 Government Order (G.O. 62) that revised the regular wage for sanitation workers to ₹600 and for drivers to ₹740. The protesters besides sought regularisation of services, monthly wage receipts, and 8.33% Deepavali bonus.

Nagapattinam Municipality engages 188 sanitation workers, 33 drivers, and 9 supervisors connected a declaration basis. The onslaught had brought garbage postulation to a halt successful respective parts of the town, starring to discarded accumulation and nationalist complaints.

Talks were held betwixt the workers, Municipal Chairman Marimuthu, Fisheries Development Corporation president K. Gowthaman, DMK councillors, and CITU commercialized national representatives. The stalemate was resolved aft the medication agreed to summation wages and wide pending statutory dues.

From the contractor’s side, it was claimed the territory medication imposes penalties up to ₹10 lakh a month, reducing the declaration wage retired from ₹43 lakh to ₹33 lakh and constraining wage payments. However, territory officials said fines were levied lone for mediocre show and inefficient discarded management.

CPI(M) municipality caput K. Venkadesan said the statement marked lone a “minor victory.” “Workers person been exploited by contractors done wage cuts and denial of statutory benefits. Many person not received PF oregon ESI cards. We agreed to resume enactment keeping successful caput the festive season, but our conflict volition proceed until the G.O. wage rates are implemented and violations are rectified,” helium said.

Nagapattinam’s 230-odd declaration sanitation workers signifier the backbone of the town’s discarded absorption system, collecting and segregating garbage crossed aggregate wards. Many hail from Ambedkar Nagar, Nagore, Vanjur, Thethipuram, and Amirtha Nagar, moving 7 days a week with minimal leave. Workers gain betwixt ₹350 and ₹400 a day, often without payslips, and allege that EPF and ESI deductions are not decently deposited.

Despite authorities circulars mandating just wages and benefits, enforcement remains patchy. A elder municipal authoritative said the medication was “aware of long-pending compliance gaps” and efforts were nether mode to “streamline contractor obligations nether the Minimum Wages Act and labour norms.”