Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], August 14 (ANI): Chennai police on Wednesday night detained sanitation workers who had been protesting for 13 consecutive days outside the Greater Chennai Corporation’s Ripon Building, following a Madras High Court order to clear the protest site.
Around 800 sanitation workers, opposing the civic body’s move to privatise waste management in two zones, were forcibly removed around midnight and taken away by buses within 45 minutes.
For the 13th consecutive day, hundreds of sanitation workers employed under the National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) protested in front of Ripon Building, demanding a rollback of the GCC’s decision to privatise solid waste management services in Zones 5 and 6.
The workers claimed that the move threatened their job security, livelihoods, and exposed them to exploitation by private agencies.
Earlier, the GCC had announced plans to outsource waste management in Royapuram (Zone 5) and Thiru-Vi-Ka Nagar (Zone 6) from August 1. These were among the last remaining zones under direct GCC control, with 10 out of Chennai’s 15 zones already managed by private contractors such as Spain-based Urbaser-Sumeet and Andhra Pradesh-based Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd (REEL).
The workers condemned the outsourcing, demanded permanent employment, and insisted that sanitation work continue under the NULM scheme.
Tensions began on July 31, when GCC officials informed NULM workers they would need to coordinate with private firms. The situation escalated on August 1 when morning-shift workers reported for duty but were denied entry. Many, including several with over a decade of service, boycotted work and joined the demonstrations.
The protest was supported and led by trade unions such as the All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), AITUC, Left Trade Union Congress (LTUC), and Labour Progressive Union (LPU). It also gained backing from political parties, including CPI, CPI(M), DMDK, TVK, PMK, TNBSP, and other regional parties.
On Wednesday, the Madras High Court ordered the Tamil Nadu government to take action against the striking workers. Later that evening, Municipal Administration Minister K.N. Nehru held talks with protest representatives, but no resolution was reached.
Police detained the protesting sanitation workers around midnight. Officers deployed at the GCC headquarters rounded up the protesters, escorted them to buses, and cleared the area.
In a post on X, Senior BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan wrote, “Now watching how the sanitary workers on agitation for the past 13 days are brutally evacuated from that area…and forcefully arrested and taken in 14 buses approximately 800..were arrested…the reason for this evacuation the Government says that it is because of court order.. during my visit itself I told these type of brutal evacuation should not happen..TN @mkstalin”.
She further added, “Should meet them and speak to them positively, and the evacuation should be more decently and warmly. It is disheartening to see fainted women were taken in ambulance…Total mismanagement by @arivalayam DMK government…more painful to know that Honorable TN CM instead of meeting the agitating sanitary workers demanding adequate “coolie.”..TN CM watching Coolingly the movie” coolie’.. Very Unfortunate situation in Tamilnadu.” (ANI)
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