Asia

India: Tamil Nadu sanitation workers protest outsourcing of jobs

Around 1,700 sanitation workers from the Erode City Municipal Corporation in Tamil Nadu, protested outside the corporation office on January 5 to demand withdrawal of an order issued on October 2 that facilitated the outsourcing of their jobs. The workers demanded permanent jobs for contract and daily wage workers.

Among other duties, the workers collect garbage, clean residential areas, markets and bazaar streets, remove obstructions in drainage channels and sort municipal solid waste and send it for recycling.

The protest was coordinated by the Stalinist Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU). Workers said they will strike on January 24 if their demands are not met.

Tamil Nadu textile workers protest

Workers from the government-owned National Textile Corporation (NTC) mills in Tamil Nadu demonstrated in Coimbatore, the state capital, on January 5 over several demands. These included the payment of two months’ outstanding wages and a bons and reopening of the NTC’s 23 textile mills.

Almost 25,000 workers, including almost 15,000 permanents, are employed at the mills. The mills have remained closed since they were locked down in March 2021 with workers only paid half of their wages. As many as 23 trade unions have united to demand the central government reopen the mills. Workers said they will demonstrate in Kerala next month and organise protests later in Ahmedabad.

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