Staff belonging to 15 panchayats go on protest

Perumbakkam panchayat workers taking part in sit in protest demanding time scale pay, on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: R. Ravindran

Temporary staff belonging to several panchayats are on a protest over the outsourcing of their work. The staff have been working as conservancy staff, water tank operators, drivers, electricians, and computer assistants at 15 panchayats including Perumbakkam, Sithalapakkam, Ottiyambakkam, Medavakkam, Vengaivasal, Tirusoolam and Koilambakkam and have been working for over 10 years now.

“Some have been working for over 30 years joining for as less as ₹19.50 a day. Today those men and women earn ₹546 a day with no other benefits like PF or ESI. Our salaries are paid from the first account. We have been informed that we will be asked to work under contractors and will be treated as outsourced,” said a worker. 

Another worker said that their services had been utilised during cyclones, floods and the COVID-19 pandemic. “We have kept shutters at homes, supplied medicines, and even buried those who died of COVID. We have had no work timings but worked during holidays and weekends. But now are being shown the door in a rather poor fashion,” he said. 

The workers, numbering around 300 have urged the government that they continue to work in their jobs or put under timescale pay. In some panchayats regular work including water supply and conservancy work have taken a bit and in some others the staff had worked.

Sholinganallur MLA Aravind Ramesh said that the issue would be taken up to the minister concerned and the Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. “We hope that a positive outcome would come of it,” he added.