Communist Party of India (M.L) Red Star, Tamil Nadu Statement on Sanitary Workers Struggle
CPIML REDSTAR strongly condemn the DMK government for using the police force to suppress the protests of Chennai sanitation workers!
We demand Tamil Nadu Government:
Immediately stop the privatization of sanitation, an essential service!
Immediately fulfill the demands of the sanitation workers!
Release all arrested sanitation workers, supporters and comrades unconditionally!
We condemn the court for unlawfully infringing upon the protest rights of sanitation workers without concluding their case!
Under the National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM), the sanitation work for two zones in Chennai—Royapuram and Thiru. Vi. Ka. Nagar—which was performed by workers for over 15 years, was handed over to a private company on August 1st. The Chennai Corporation is also in the process of handing over sanitation work in Tondiarpet, Anna Nagar, and Ambattur to private firms.
In protest against the privatization of their work from August 1st, more than 2,000 sanitation workers, a majority of whom are women, staged a sit-in protest at the Corporation office, day and night, 13 days enduring extreme heat and rain
In Chennai’s 15 zones, 10 zones were already privatized by the AIADMK government under Edappadi Palaniswami in 2020. When the 7th zone was attempted to be privatized in 2021, the sanitation workers filed a lawsuit and obtained an injunction from the court to stop the privatization. Despite this, the Chennai Corporation’s ongoing attempt to hand over these zones to private companies is illegal and constitutes contempt of court.
Furthermore, “the industrial dispute regarding job permanency is pending before the Industrial Tribunal.” In this situation, handing over the work to private firms completely eliminates the fundamental right to job permanency for sanitation workers.
Seven rounds of talks with Minister Sekar Babu, who is also the Chairman of CMDA (Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority) and Minister of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments, failed as the rights of the sanitation workers were not accepted. The government was unwilling to even accept the workers’ minimal basic demand to continue their work under the National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM). Instead, Minister Sekar Babu is threatening the protesting workers and the activists supporting them. Is this the action of a government that claims to uphold social justice?
We all witnessed how sanitation workers risked their lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is condemnable that the honorable Chief Minister M.K. Stalin is ignoring the protests of these “frontline warriors” who have also cleaned the city of Chennai during countless disasters like storms and floods.
During the previous AIADMK regime, several zones in Chennai were privatized. Back then, as the Leader of the Opposition, Stalin was furious and strongly condemned it. He spoke at every platform, saying, “If we come to power, the miseries of sanitation workers will be resolved.” The DMK’s election manifesto (No. 285) had promised to fulfill the demands of the sanitation workers. After becoming Chief Minister, Stalin has completely forgotten this promise and is now actively engaged in privatizing the work.
The plan to privatize sanitation work affects not only the workers but also the citizens. A false understanding is being spread among the public that privatization will increase efficiency. In areas managed by private companies, garbage is not collected daily. It is often missed, and garbage piles up on the streets. There have been numerous complaints that the services are not as good in areas managed by private companies compared to those managed by the Corporation. While service deficiencies are high, the contract money received by the private companies from the Corporation is also very high!
Currently, around 3,000 sanitation workers are employed in the affected zones. Their annual salary is approximately Rs 80 crore. However, the new private company has been awarded a contract for Rs 236 crore per year, which is almost three times the amount paid to the workers. The Chennai Corporation is essentially using a large portion of our tax money to generate profits for private companies.
The private company is not even offering the meager salary of Rs 23,500 that the workers received through NULM, instead setting the wage at only Rs 15,000.
Furthermore, these companies, which are making crores in profit from our tax money, face serious allegations of tax evasion and financial fraud. The zones where the protesting sanitation workers are employed have been handed over to a new company, Ramky. Ramky is facing investigations by national agencies like the CBI, Enforcement Directorate (ED), and SFIO for various fraud charges. Another company, Sumith, also has numerous allegations against it and is under investigation. Entrusting our fundamental essential services to companies facing such serious fraud charges is fundamentally wrong.
The people who perform sanitation work do so at the cost of their health. The government has kept them as daily wage laborers without any of the rights of government employees. This situation must change. The contract system for the essential service of sanitation must be completely abolished and replaced with permanent employment.
Moreover, they perform sanitation work without proper tools and protective equipment. This severely impacts their physical and mental health. Therefore, the government should consider protecting their welfare as its primary duty.
Additionally, sanitation work in our society is performed by marginalized people from the lowest rungs of the caste structure. Therefore, the DMK government, which claims to uphold social justice, must immediately fulfill all the demands of the protesting workers.
In Rajasthan and Odisha, the contract system for sanitation work has been abolished, and permanent employment has been ensured. In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the government has created a “Labor Corporation” to provide employees to local bodies.
Tamil Nadu, a state considered advanced in many ways within the Indian Union, should become a state where the contract system for sanitation work is completely abolished and the welfare of sanitation workers is protected.
Public:
Should stand in support of the just struggle of the sanitation workers.
Long Live the Protest of the Sanitation Workers!
All arrested sanitation workers and their supporting comrades must be released immediately.
Appreciation to the “Uzhaippor Urimai Iyyakkam” (Workers’ Rights Movement) for organizing and leading the protest
The CPI (M.L) Red Star will always stand with the protesting sanitation workers.
With Comradeship,
Suba. Manokaran
Tamil Nadu State Secretary,
CPI (M.L) Red Star
Chennai
14-08-2025
