Amaravati contract sanitary staff protest for salaries

Tulluru (Guntur District): The contract sanitation workers in the capital region of Amaravati launched relay hunger strike here on Friday, demanding payment of salaries pending for the last three months, equal pay for equal work and job security. CPM -affiliated Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) led the strike.

Launching the relay hunger strike camp, CPM State executive member Ch Babu Rao said that the government is paying Rs 21,000 for sanitation workers in the municipalities across the State but paying only Rs 12,000 to the sanitation workers of Secretariat, Assembly and other offices, which is against law. There should be equal pay for equal work, he pointed out.

Babu Rao said that these workers were not paid even those meagre salaries for the last three months. 'The sanitation workers appealed to the people's representatives and the officials in vain. The CRDA officials stated that the contract of these workers would expire in January 2023 and there were no funds to continue them in the work,' he informed.

The CPM leader said the government is spending several lakhs of rupees on the advisors but removing the poor workers mercilessly. More than 500 workers and thousands of their family members are virtually left on the roads, he lamented. Babu Rao alleged that the labour laws are being violated in capital city, State Secretariat and even in High Court but there is no response from any quarter. "People's representatives should respond to the problems of the workers," he demanded and warned that a massive agitation would be launched with the support of all sections of people.

Contract Sanitation Employees' Union honorary president M Ravi, secretary Venu, president Susila, CITU leaders Bhagyaraju, Venkateswara Rao, Ajaneyulu, Babu and others participated in the relay hunger strike on Friday.