Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu): Sanitation workers in Coimbatore city in Tamil Nadu have come down to the streets calling for an indefinite strike demanding regularisation of temporary workers and revised wages.

Claiming that their voices were never heard despite pleading before the officials, 10 workers’ associations have formed a federation putting forth their demands to accept 18-point charter.

As per the official data, over 7,000 employees are working as sanitation workers with Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC). Of these, there are 2,750 sanitation workers are permanent which concludes that a huge part of the employees are working on contractual basis.

These temporary workers are demanding that their employment should be regularised and their salaries be raised.

Tamil Nadu Annal Ambedkar Sanitary Workers Welfare Association’s General Secretary Selvam said there should be 3 sanitary workers including a sweeper, garbage collector and a drainage cleaner for every 240 houses. Meanwhile, there should be over 6,000 permanent workers given the huge population of the city.

However, there are just half of the workers for a city that produces around 1,200 tonnes of garbage every day, he added.

Due to the strike for an indefinite period, the city of Coimbatore has to see heaps of waste and garbage bags lying on the roadside.

City Health Officer (CHO) Dr Pradeep V Krishna Kumar said that they tried to convince the sanitation workers to resume work and their demands will be heard soon but failed.

The CHO said the state government is planning to revise G0 62 soon, owing to which, it has asked the workers to wait a while. He said the demands for ESI and PF benefits will be accepted and implemented soon.