Contract workers attached to Ambur Municipality staged a demonstration seeking special pay of ₹18,000 and insurance coverage of ₹5 lakh. They worked on Friday and Saturday while wearing black badges as a sign of protest.
They pointed out that Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami announced a special pay package for health and sanitary workers which included insurance coverage for those involved in COVID-19 prevention activities. “These facilities should be extended to contract workers as well, as they are involved in the same activities like others,” AITUC District vice-president S.R. Devadass, who led the protest, said.
He said though government orders were passed by the State government for payment of special pay plus insurance coverage for COVID-19 warriors, this was “conveniently ignored” by municipal officials.
“There are 105 temporary sanitary workers working in Ambur Municipality for over 12 years and by this time they should have been given permanent employment, as they have worked over 480 days for the same organisation,” he said. These contract workers do the same work as the permanent workers of the municipality, Mr. Devadass added.
