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In the backdrop of recent protests by sanitation workers, the Greater Chennai Corporation has reportedly halted its plans to privatise the remainder of the three zones until the 2026 Assembly elections. Though the Corporation has floated tenders worth Rs 1,200 crore for both the zones, the work orders will not be issued, officials said.
“Bidders are yet to come, but we were told to postpone it due to political reasons,” an official was quoted as saying by the Times of India. The report has also confirmed the same from Deputy Mayor Mahesh Kumar. “Privatisation will benefit people, but the government at the moment does not want unrest. Tenders are only in the bidding stage for now. The project won’t come till polls are over,” Mahesh Kumar told ToI.
Recently, the GCC sanitation workers employed under the National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) staged a massive protest in front of the Ripon Building, the headquarters of the Greater Chennai Corporation, demanding a reversal of the civic body’s decision to privatise solid waste management in Zones 5 and 6. The protest was backed by many parties including the VCK, CPI(M), and NTK.
The 13-day protest was disrupted by the Chennai police following a Madras High Court directive, which cited public inconvenience.
The agitating workers fear that their wages would be reduced if the government privatises solid waste management.
Under the NULM scheme, the sanitation employees earn about Rs 23,000 per month. After privatisation, their wages could be decreased to around Rs 15,000. While private sector workers are entitled to Provident Fund (PF) and Employees’ State Insurance (ESI), protestors argue that the take-home pay would be significantly lower, making it difficult to cover basic living costs. The workers also demanded regularisation of their jobs and basic labour rights.