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After protesting for 16 days, around 500 sanitation workers temporarily called off their agitation on September 4, following talks with several ministers and Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) officials.
Several of their immediate demands, including food allowances, toilets and resting facilities for women workers, safety equipment and withdrawal of cases, have been assured. However, their central demand — permanent employment — remains unresolved.
The protest began on August 20 near the Allikulam court complex gate at the GCC headquarters in Ripon Building.
On September 4, ministers N Anand, Aadhav Arjuna, CTR Nirmal Kumar and A Rajmohan spoke to workers and held discussions with union leaders, including Uzhaipor Urimai Iyakkam (UUI) state president K Bharathi.
What has been promised?
According to Bharathi, the state government has agreed to provide a Rs 50 food allowance per day from October 1.
Resting facilities and toilets for women workers would be provided in 200 wards. The facilities will be installed in 197 wards by the end of September and the remaining three later.
The workers have been promised two masks a day, additional gloves and raincoats to be supplied every year.
160 battery-operated waste removal vehicles will be provided in zones 4 (Tondiarpet), 7 (Ambattur) and 8 (Anna Nagar).
Employment and compensation have also been promised to family members if workers die while doing their job.
The state government also agreed to withdraw criminal cases registered against the workers in connection with their earlier agitation held during the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s (DMK) reign.
The government also agreed to establish a sanitation workers’ welfare board office inside the GCC campus, appoint an officer for it and ensure that all sanitation workers are enrolled.
Going forward, regular meetings between workers and GCC officials are to be held every two months. The GCC commissioner GS Sameeran will meet the workers every four months. The UUI has also been assured space for a union office within the GCC premises.
No assurance of permanency yet
However, the most important demand by the workers is yet to be met. A second round of negotiations has been scheduled for October 3.
The demand for permanent employment, a weekly paid day off, maternity and menstrual leave for women workers, and an increase in daily wages from Rs 762 to Rs 832 is expected to be taken up in this meeting.
Bharathi told mediapersons that the workers were expecting “good news” after these discussions and announced the decision to temporarily suspend the protest.
Workers react to promises
For workers like Jyoti, the assurances were welcome but did not answer the question that had brought them to the protest site in the first place. She said the current monthly salary of Rs 23,000 was insufficient to meet the needs of her family.
“With this low salary, we aren't able to buy what our kids want. We get angry at our children because of this. If the second meeting is not fruitful, we will explore other forms of protest,” she said.
Jayanthi, 49, who works in zone 4, ward 38, said, "I will consider the talks successful only when the government actually implements the assurances they’ve given us. We can wait until October 3, but we still want to meet Chief Minister Joseph Vijay directly.”
The CM holds the portfolio for Municipal Administration and Water Supply, and the GCC falls under the Municipal Administration department.
Geetha, 41, from zone 4, ward 34, said, "We agree today's meeting is significant because it was the first time ministers had directly spoken to us. But I'm not completely satisfied, as they asked us to discuss our demand for job permanency later. We hope this government will not abandon us.”
Babu from ward 34, said, "We did not receive a permanent solution under either the DMK or All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) governments. We are now waiting to see what the present Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government is going to do."
"Even a kal dosai now costs around Rs 30 to Rs 40 in some places. This Rs 50 food allowance will provide a little immediate relief atleast,” he added.
Senthil, 39, another worker from ward 34, said he was the sole breadwinner for his family. He has two school-going children and pays Rs 8,000 in house rent and around Rs 2,000 in electricity charges every month.
"If the CM keeps his promise, he will be the lamp of our lives,” he said, expressing hope that the government would address their demand for permanent employment.
The workers’ demand for higher wages had also been pending despite an earlier announcement.
In April, then Chennai District Collector Rashmi Siddarth Zagade had announced that the daily wage for sanitation workers is to be revised from Rs 762 to Rs 832. The workers said the revision had not been implemented.
Official response
GCC Commissioner GS Sameeran said the government had accepted the workers’ immediate demands, while some of their other demands would require a longer discussion.
“Four ministers have participated in the talks, and immediate demands have been accepted. The discussion was very successful. That's why they have withdrawn their protest,” GS Sameeran told the media.
He added, “Based on the assurances given by the ministers, they have withdrawn the strike. There will be another round of talk on October 3. It will be on long-term demands on permanency and other benefits which involve policy decisions and financial and legal implications.”
Minister for Rural Development and Water Resources N Anand told the workers, “We have been here for 116 days. Unlike previous governments that did not listen to any protests, you know this government led by CM Joseph Vijay will listen. Our CM is a people’s CM who will always stand with marginalised people. Your demands are fair. We are not denying that,” he said.
Minister for Public Works and Sports Development Aadhav Arjuna said, “In previous governments, many jobs like sanitary work have been outsourced. There should have been regular filling of vacancies on a permanent basis.”
He added, “But for a new government like us, it is a challenge to fill all those vacancies in a short period of time. We are informing you of this as the CM wants his government to function in a transparent manner.”
The current agitation has followed earlier protests over outsourcing and privatisation of sanitation work. In August 2025, sanitation workers held a prolonged protest that was only called off in January 2026 after their demand of job permanency was assured. But it has not been implemented yet.