Over 500 sanitary workers protest in Saidapet, demand COVID incentives and pay hike in Chennai

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], December 8 : More than 500 Sanitary workers from various districts protested in Chennai's Saidapet today, raising several demands, including incentives for work done during the COVID pandemic, Salary hike, and more. The protest was led by the Tamil Nadu Rural Development Department Workers' Union, representing sanitary workers and other staff working under the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department.
This includes Swachh Bharat Mission district and block coordinators, computer operators, health motivators, overhead tank operators, sanitation workers, cleanliness guards, school sanitation workers, social auditors, village panchayat computer operators, and women rural livelihood mission workers.
Following the protest, the government has accepted several key demands and issued written confirmation. These accepted demands include payment of COVID-19 incentives, wages as per the Minimum Wages Act, Equal pay for equal work, Special time-scale pay, ESI, PF, and FBF benefits, Benefits equivalent to those provided to nutritious meal scheme employees, Work reward pension scheme, filling up of vacant posts for overhead tank operators and sanitation workers. They also insisted that those already working in these roles must be included in the recruitment process.
However, workers warned that until a formal Government Order is issued, they will continue their protest indefinitely. Tamil Nadu Rural Development Labour Union (TNRDLU) General Secretary Krishnasami said that the government had agreed to fulfil demands such as COVID-19 incentives and salary hikes, but has not implemented them yet. "We demanded Rs 12,000, but the government is not listening. If our demands are not met, we will launch an indefinite strike," he said. He added that cadres travelling from various districts to Chennai were stopped by police, with some even placed under house arrest. "The government must act against th police for illegal detention. The police are threatening us," he alleged.