Sanitation workers call off strike in Nellore after intervention from Minister, MLA

Following the intervention of local Minister Ponguru Narayana and Nellore Rural MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy, the sanitation workers on Wednesday called off their 14-day strike. Discussions were held between Nellore Municipal Corporation (NMC) Commissioner Y.O. Nandan and the leaders of Municipal Workers and Employees Union in the presence of Nellore Rural MLA at the NMC office.

Speaking to the union leaders over phone from Singapore on Tuesday evening, Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) Minister Ponguru Narayana assured the workers to cancel the contract system, which was initiated as a pilot project in the district. Instead of awarding the project to a third party, he promised to offer the same to the existing employees.

In July first week, the State government had initiated a pilot project to outsource the sanitation works across three civic bodies in combined Nellore district. The NMC, as well as Kavali and Gudur municipalities, called for tenders in select wards to hand over the sanitation works to contractors on an experimental basis.

The leaders of CPI(M) had raised concerns over this as the workers were afraid of losing their jobs due to the outsourcing. CPI(M) Nellore city secretary Kathi Srinivasulu said, “The sanitation staff had been working for years with meagre salaries, debts, and poor conditions. With the outsourcing, they will suffer job insecurity under the contractors.”

Speaking to The Hindu, NMC Commissioner said, “The idea is not to outsource the sanitation works totally, but to assess the funds required to maintain 100 per cent sanitation measures in 9th ward. However, the MA&UD Minister clarified to the union leaders that the tenders will be cancelled and the workers will be involved in transforming it as a model ward.”

“The union leaders have agreed that no additional manpower is required in the 9th ward for the pilot project. The NMC will provide the necessary machinery and materials to take up the sanitation works efficiently. Other modalities will be finalised with the municipal workers in the presence of the Minister by the end of this week,” he informed.