Demanding Regularisation and Against Outsourcing 

Chennai corporation is divided into 20 zones and sanitation workers are employed under National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM). The Left Trade Union Centre (LTUC, recently affiliated to AICCTU) has been working among NULM workers for years and took up their cause for minimum wages, regularisation and social dignity. 

The ruling dispensation which claims to be the flag bearer of social justice in Tamil Nadu not only failed to implement minimum wages to the most marginalised section of sanitation workers, but also released a new GO 36, reducing their Dearness Allowance component. LTUC relentlessly fought it in the streets and also in the court to ensure that minimum wages as per original Government Order (GO) 62 is complied with. Even after the implementation of minimum wages as per GO 62 in Chennai Corporation, adjoining Tambaram and Avadi corporations have so far not implemented the same. The Government Orders are meant to be implemented in all local bodies all over Tamil Nadu. Comrade Barathi of LTUC, filed a Public Interest Litigation at the High court of Madras for the implementation of minimum wages for sanitation workers in all local bodies in the state and it is pending now. LTUC also got a directive from the High court of Madras to refer the issue of regularisation of Chennai corporation workers to the Tribunal.

The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Mr M K Stalin, when he was in the opposition, had written a letter dated 19.1.2021 to the then AIADMK government demanding regularisation of NULM workers without waiting for a court verdict. DMK had also promised implementation of minimum wages to the sanitation workers in its election manifesto. But it has thrown its own promises to the wind after being elected to power. 

In this background, sanitation workers of zone 7 of Chennai Corporation raised an Industrial Dispute with the labour department for permanency. In the conciliation proceedings, the State Government refused to regularise the services of sanitation workers while the union refused to accept anything less than regularisation. Hence, the conciliation efforts failed and the labour department submitted a failure report to the state government. The government refused to refer the dispute to the Tribunal and has violated its duty. The Union took up the matter to the High court of Madras vide WP 1333/2024. The High court of Madras in turn directed the State government to refer the matter of regularisation to the Tribunal. 

The workers of zone 5 and 6 also raised disputes and the High court of Madras by its order in the WPs 420 & 1856/2025 directed the state government to refer the matter to the Tribunal. But, the state government has not yet complied with the court direction. 

The union, Uzhaippor Urimai Iyakkam (UUI - Workers Rights Movement) announced a protest of forming human chain in front of the Chennai Corporation headquarters. Afraid of huge participation of workers, the police insisted on changing the venue of the protest. Top police officials spoke to comrade Suresh. But the workers and the union persisted on their right to protest in front of the office of the employer, the Chennai Corporation which is responsible for outsourcing of their jobs and the police was forced to allocate a place for protest in front of the Corporation Headquarters. More than 1000 workers of  zone 5 ,6 and 7 formed  a human chain and raised slogans against outsourcing of their jobs and for regularisation.

In the meantime, a delegation led by Comrade Mohan met the Corporation Commissioner while another delegation led by comrade Suresh met the Joint secretary of the labour department to apprise them of their demands.

Finally, the Corporation Commissioner ruled out any move for outsourcing for now and suggested to approach the government for the matter of regularisation as it is related to a policy decision of the state government.

Workers are determined to continue their struggle to protect their livelihood and for permanency. They have also resolved to continue their fight against privatization. They demand that the state government should not allow private players like Urbesar, Enviro to reap profits by outsourcing the Corporation’s responsibility of sanitation and Solid Waste Management in the city. Comrade Barathi, the president of the Union, declared that workers will have no other option but to protest in front of the Chief Minister’s House if the government unrelented.

The sanitation workers of Coimbatore, Salem, Cuddalore, Thanjavur, Tuticorin, Tenkasi and Kanyakumari districts also have organised themselves under the banner of AICCTU and are fighting for regularisation and minimum wages. The united movement of sanitation workers shall ensure that the systemic exploitation of outsourcing and denial of minimum wages and basic rights do not continue anymore.