The workers claimed that a few officials in the government have been holding talks with them to find a solution that seeks to protect the interest of the workers.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Traffic was disrupted at two places on Kamarajar Salai and near the Secretariat when a large number of sanitation workers tried to stage a protest against the outsourcing of conservancy operations. Police personnel detained 424 workers on Friday.
A senior official of the City police said the sanitation workers have been organising protests against the outsourcing of sanitation services in the Royapuram and Thiru. Vi. Ka. Nagar zones of the city Corporation for more than 100 days.
On Friday, over 100 sanitation workers went on a protest in front of the memorial of former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi in Marina Beach.
When the protesters attempted to block the road, the security personnel posted on Kamarajar Salai detained them in two buses.
Another group of sanitation workers assembled near the Secretariat and tried to block the road, raising slogans against the outsourcing and demanding the workers to be made permanent. A large posse of policemen immediately rounded up the protesting workers and detained them. Mild tension prevailed during their detention as the workers resisted from being detained.
The workers were taken to community halls in Adambakkam, Alandur, Royapuram and Madipakkam. One woman was injured during the protest, according to the workers. After initial rounds of protests in the past three months, K. Kalpana and V. Velankanni, went on an indefinite hunger strike on December 1.
According to a press release by Uzhaipor Urimai Iyakkam, the workers decided to hold a protest near Fort St. George and Kalaignar Memorial as they felt aggrieved and have lost hope of finding a solution after the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department submitted in the court on Thursday that talks have not progressed towards finding an alternative to outsourcing of conservancy operations.
The workers claimed that a few officials in the government have been holding talks with them to find an alternative that seeks to protect the interest of the workers.
Published – December 13, 2025 04:52 am IST
