The story so far: Over the last year, conservancy workers in some parts of Chennai have taken to the streets to orchestrate protests, pushing for demands they have had for the last two decades. The workers, engaged under the National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM)-Self Help Group model, have sought permanent employment, fair wages and better working conditions.After repeated rallies, the TVK-led State government reached an agreement with the workers recently by promising welfare measures and further negotiations. But the core demands — permanency and the ₹832 daily wage — are still to be resolved.Who are the workers?Under the NULM-SHG model, there are over 2,900 workers for conservancy duties in Royapuram (V), Thiru.Vi.Ka Nagar (VI and parts of Anna Nagar (VIII) Zones work — some working as sweepers, waste collectors and battery-operated vehicle drivers for over a decade.In 2017, there were 15,776 workers with GCC. This expanded and there are 21,436 workers currently — 3,628 are permanent, 415 are Nominal Muster Roll workers, 2,946 are NULM-SHG, and 14,447 are employed via two private agencies. Many have continued working amid COVID-19 lockdowns, floods, and extreme heatBut, the NULM workers are still under the contract system, meaning there’s no job security.When did privatisation begin?The formal proposal by Chennai Corporation was in 1999 and was implemented in 2000 despite fierce opposition by members of the Communist parties and trade unions. After 2011 when the GCC expanded from 10 to 15 zones, the area under privatisation was expanded much more. In Royapuram (V), Thiru.Vi.Ka Nagar (VI), and parts of Anna Nagar (VIII) only NULM workers continued.In April 2025, the GCC Council, led by Mayor R. Priya, passed a resolution to outsource conservancy work from August 2025 in the these areas too, despite opposition. The GCC claimed its decision was taken because of low attendance of conservancy staff under NULM, and charges that some workers signed the attendance registry but, instead of conservancy, they would take up other private jobs such as vending or house keeping.Why did they oppose it?Workers sought a ₹832 daily wage, permanency, and benefits. Permanency provides stable employment along with Employees’ State Insurance and Provident Fund benefits, and could also assure employment for their next generation with the government.Further, they wanted a physical attendance registration rather than biometric sign ins, which they claimed glitched often."Initial talks by Ministers and Mayor were welcome. What we need is job permanency and rolling back privatisation of conservancy work in three zones (Tondiarpet - IV, Royapuram - V and Thiru-Vi-Ka - VI) by Chennai Corporation," said Mohan of Left Trade Union Centre (LTUC) and… https://t.co/7MwgwJOpAVpic.twitter.com/HvVqboWiud— R Aishwaryaa (@AishRavi64) August 9, 2025They opposed being transferred to private agencies without consultation. As part of the deal, they were offered a minimum wage of ₹16,950 a month against their NULM earnings of about ₹23,000 a month.Chennai Enviro Solutions subsequently revised the offer in August 2025 to ₹761 a day, including ESI and Provident Fund contributions.But, unions, including the Uzhaippor Urimai Iyakkam (UUI), affiliated with the Labour Trade Union Congress (LTUC) and the All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), staged continuous protests through 2023, 2024 and 2025.What happened in August 2025?On August 1, 2025, over 500 workers protested outside Ripon Buildings, the GCC headquarters. The dispute acquired a political dimension. The workers alleged then Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was not implementing permanency even though it was part of his poll promises before the 2021 elections.Chennai sanitation workers protest privatisation, demand permanent jobs