Municipal contract workers stir continues for 5th day

Vijayawada: Municipal contract workers strike entered the fifth day on Monday in the state as the workers boycotted the duties demanding the Government to abolish the G.O. 279 which was aimed at giving sanitation work to private contractors in municipalities and municipal corporations. 

Over 35,000 contract workers of public health, malaria, engineering and other departments of the municipalities boycotted duties for the last five days.

The contract workers are demanding scrapping of G.O. 279 which was issued in 2015.  The contract workers are facing insecurity about the jobs and expressed their concern about the misuse of their PF if sanitation work is awarded to private contractors.

Of the 110 municipalities in the state, sanitation works were given to private contractors in 30 municipalities. On the fifth day of the strike, contract workers staged protests in various parts of the state and expressed strong resentment over the inaction of the government to concede their demands.

On the other hand, garbage is piling up in the urban areas due to the impact of strike. They are opposing the contract and outsourcing system in the government.  Andhra Pradesh Municipal Joint Action Committee state convener K Umamaheswara Rao told The Hans India that the JAC has decided to continue the strike for some more days till the government abolishes the G.O. 279. He said the regular employees are drawing salary of Rs.19,000 per month while the contract workers are getting only Rs.11,000.

He said the contract workers have to depend on the mercy of contractors to continue in the work. Before launching the agitation, the municipal JAC held discussions with Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, Minister of Municipal Administration P Narayana and higher officials in the department. As the talks failed, they launched the stir, Umamaheswara Rao  said. 

CPI State Secretary K Ramakrishna demanded the government to immediately abolish the G.O. 279 and concede the demands of contract workers like payment of monthly salary of Rs.19,000. Municipal workers JAC leader and AITUC state leader P Subbarayudu alleged that the State government is neglecting the sanitation in the state.

Meanwhile, the municipalities and municipal corporations are trying to use the services of all regular employees for lifting the garbage, which has been piling up in municipalities due to the strike of contract workers for the last five days. In Vijayawada, Municipal commissioner J Nivas directed the Public Health department officials to ensure all staff attend the duty without fail.