A Perspective on Vizag
ESI and PF cards and regular payment of wages are prominent among other demands
Visakha City, February 22, 2010
Sanitation workers of the Municipal Corporation began a strike on Monday demanding wages according to notification of the District Collector and GO 1289. The laid siege to the Office of the Joint Commissioner of Labour right from the afternoon. Nearly, 5,000 workers under various sanitation schemes and owing allegiance to GVMC Employees’ Union, affiliated to CITU launched a strike. The president of the union P Venkata Reddy said their demands include issuing of ESI and PF cards, regular payment of wages and a halt to deducting income tax from their wages.
During the talks with the union leaders late at night in the presence of Joint Commissioner of Labour, Lakshminarayana, Municipal officials wanted the strike to be called off as the Mayor P Janaradhana Rao and the Municipal Commissioner, VN Vishnu who had to take a decision favorable to them were in the Netherlands and would return on March 2. However, Venkata Reddy announce that the strike would continue. A meeting would be held with the workers at Saraswati Park on Tuesday morning and after ascertaining their views, a decision would be taken.
Earlier in the day, hundreds of workers stormed the Joint Commissioner of Labor’s office and squatted there waiting for GVMC Additional Commissioner (General) S Krishna Murty. According to Venkata Reddy, Police Commissioner N Samba Siva Rao spoke to the Municipal Commissioner VN Vishnu and as the siege continued, District Collector J Syamala Rao also intervened and directed the officials to go for talks. The siege that began around 3.30pm continued with a large number of police personnel watching the situation. Late at night, top officials from GVMC arrived at the JCL’s office and held talks with Venkata Reddy, union honorary president G Subba Rao and working president K Lokanadham and other leaders.