Municipal Corporation of Tirupati sanitary workers withdraw strike planned from June 1

Tirupati: Following the Municipal Corporation of Tirupati (MCT) authorities agreeing to concede the demands of sanitary workers working in the Corporation, the corporation health workers on Thursday decided not to go ahead with the strike which they decided to observe from June 1.

The MCT authorities led by Corporation Chairman Dr Sirisha and Municipal Commissioner Anupama Anjali held discussion with the health workers union leaders including Tulasendra and Madanmohan on the pending demands of workers resulting in the Corporation authorities conceding to the demands.

The demands which the corporation authorities conceded after a two-hour long discussion include insurance premium, ESI and PF payment regularly, sanction of casual leave and festival holidays, providing uniform and payment of the pending salary immediately to the workers. A total of about Rs 1.45 crore towards the salary of 120 workers working in the corporation is pending which the authorities agreed to pay immediately.

As the Corporation failed to make the payment for supply of uniforms to health workers, the contractor refused to provide the uniforms to workers. In the meeting, the authorities assured the union leaders that they would provide uniforms to all the workers and also take up repairs to pushcarts used by the workers for collection of waste from homes, shops and also other public places and also safety gears within 15 days to the workers.

It may be noted here that the corporation health workers first served the strike notice on April 23 for the strike which they proposed from May but there was no response resulting in the workers again serving strike notice to observe strike from June 1 with no response. The workers responding to the Union leaders' call boycotted the work today and gathered at the corporation office, stirring the authorities to hold discussion with the union leaders leading the workers to withdraw the strike move after the corporation authorities agreed to solve their problems in two or three weeks.

Talking to The Hans India, Union leader Tulasendra said that as the authorities assured to solve the pending demands of sanitary workers, the union decided to withdraw the strike. Deputy Mayor Mudra Narayana, Additional Commissioner Sunitha, Deputy Commissioner Chandramouliswara Reddy, Superintendent Engineer T Mohan and other officials were also present in the meeting with health workers union leaders.