Even as the protest by conservancy workers of Royapuram and Thiru. Vi. Ka. Nagar zones entered the tenth day, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) formally began regular garbage collection with workers from a private firm. A salary revision for conservancy workers is expected within the next four months, said a senior official from the GCC.
According to sources in the Chennai Corporation, roughly 150 temporary sanitation workers began work through Ramky Enviro Engineers Limited, the private firm roped in for solid waste management in Royapuram and Thiru. Vi. Ka. Nagar zones (V and VI) on Saturday. More than 300 workers are expected to join in the coming days, sources said.
“These workers were earlier employed with GCC through National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) and have now joined by submitting letters of consent. The company was required to appoint 3,809 sanitation workers under the contract, but has only appointed 1,770 so far. The remaining 2,039 posts (975 in zone V and 1,059 in zone VI) are still reserved for the NULM workers currently protesting,” said the Corporation.
Joint Commissioner (Health) V.P. Jeyaseelan said privatisation has proven to be a better model than the GCC itself handling solid waste management.
