Trash piles up in Chennai as sanitation workers strike enters 13th day

Chennai faces mounting garbage piles as sanitation workers strike enters its 13th day over privatization concerns. Greater Chennai Corporation hires contract labourers and mobilizes staff from other zones, clearing 650+ tonnes of waste amid ongoing protests and stalled negotiations.

Chennai: As the sanitation workers’ strike entered its 13th day on Wednesday, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) launched an overnight cleaning operation in Royapuram and Thiru Vi Ka Nagar, deploying contract labourers and staff from other zones to tackle mounting garbage piles.

Workers under the National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) have been protesting against the privatisation of solid waste management since the GCC awarded a Rs 276-crore contract to a private firm.

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The strike has left waste uncleared across the two zones, triggering public criticism and concerns over health hazards.

Despite the deteriorating situation, striking workers offered to remove the piled-up waste without pay to protect public health. However, GCC rejected the proposal and instead mobilised nearly 1,200 personnel — including contract workers and teams from Tondiarpet, Anna Nagar and other zones — for a special drive on the nights of August 11 and 12.

According to civic officials, over 650 metric tonnes of waste were cleared in the operation.

Union leaders have condemned the move, accusing the corporation of trying to sow discord among sanitation staff.

“The GCC is attempting to create divisions between workers by bringing in outside staff for this drive. We will not give in. If workers from other zones join our protest, the situation will escalate,” warned S. Kumarasamy, adviser to the Labour Progressive Federation (LTUC), which is leading the agitation.

Several rounds of negotiations between the GCC and the protesters have failed to yield a breakthrough. While workers demand assurances on job security and benefits, the civic body insists that its plan will protect their interests.

In an official statement, GCC pledged that all NULM staff from Royapuram and Thiru Vi Ka Nagar will be given employment under contractual arrangements with full benefits, including provident fund, bonus, and Employees’ State Insurance coverage.

The corporation appealed to the strikers to resume work immediately.

As the impasse continues, the protest threatens to spread to other parts of the city, with some workers from unaffected zones reportedly willing to join the agitation. For now, the GCC is pressing ahead with alternative arrangements to maintain cleanliness, while union leaders vow to keep up pressure until their demands are met.