NAMAKKAL: Contract sanitation workers of the Tiruchengode municipality, who boycotted work and held a protest on Tuesday demanding job regularisation and a wage hike, withdrew their agitation a few hours later after Tamil Nadu health and family welfare minister K G Arunraj and municipal authorities assured them that their grievances would be brought to the attention of chief minister and officials concerned.
The minister advised the workers to hold discussions with municipal authorities and said appropriate assurances would be obtained from the municipality. As the protest intensified, minister Arunraj spoke to the representatives of workers on the phone and assured them that their demands, including wage revision and job regularisation, would be brought to the attention of chief minister C Joseph Vijay and that efforts would be made to find an early solution. Following the minister’s intervention, the workers proceeded to the Tiruchengode municipal office and continued their protest there. Members of Left parties and trade unions, including CITU, CPM and AITUC, extended support to the workers and urged the govt to fulfil the workers’ demands. On receiving the assurance from both the minister and municipal authorities, the contract sanitation workers called off their protest and dispersed.