Chennai:
The stir by 170 conservancy workers in Asia’s biggest
vegetable, fruit and flower market in Koyambedu that began on Monday was resolved
by market management officials and Hyderabad based Ramky group.
MMC officials said the issue over Diwali bonus was resolved
on Tuesday morning after Ramky agreed to pay the conservancy workers an
additional bonus of Rs 500.
The stir had began on Monday with conservancy workers
mostly women gheraoing the officials and demanding full month bonus.
“The officials had paid initially a bonus of Rs 500. But
the workers were not happy. After the negotiations an additional Rs 500 was
agreed o be paid to workers following which the workers took up the regular
work,” MMC officials told Express.
Interestingly, on Monday the garbage could not be cleaned
due to the stir It was only during late night, Ramky officials had arranged temporary staff to
do the cleaning operations.
MMC officials said their job is to ensure the market
remains clean and said it is up to Ramky to sort out the issue with labourers. “It
is their internal issue,” a senior official said.
Interestingly, it is not only the Diwali bonus for which
the workers are protesting, they are also demanding provident fund benefits
besides basic amenities like soap and gloves to clean up the garbage.
Hemavathi, who is working as a conservancy worker for the
last 15 years, alleged that the workers are paid a daily wage of Rs 170 and at
times it is delayed.
She also said that the workers are also not getting
provident fund and other facilities.
Ramky officials told Express that they have taken up the
contract from M V K Murugan this August only. He said the workers have to give
their bank accounts to settle their provident fund.
A total of around 150 to 180 metric tonnes of garbage per
day is collected from around 3, 500 shops and dumped in the yards outside the
city and some used in the bio-methanation plant.
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