The sanitation workers' union Uzhaipor Urumai Iyakkam has called for a protest march on September 18. The announcement came on September 12 during a press meet. The union also condemned the detention of 13 sanitation workers earlier this week.
The workers were taken from their homes by police on September 9 and detained until midnight. They had conducted a hunger strike on September 8.
Police permission has been sought for the September 18 protest. The march is set to begin at Rajarathinam stadium.
During their September 12 press meet, the union also said that a Madras High Court division bench has allowed for the hearing of the issue of permanency by the industrial tribunal.
This overturns the stipulation by a single bench of the Madras High Court that the policy decision of the state government is not amenable to the jurisdiction of the industrial tribunal.
" Chief Minister MK Stalin, who is in charge of the police force, the Director General of Police (DGP) and the Commissioner of Police (CoP) must be answerable. Under what law and authority did you detain workers from within their homes?” Asked S Kumaraswami, legal counsel for the sanitation workers.
A division bench of the Madras High Court under justices MS Ramesh and V Lakshminarayanan had, on September 2, constituted a one-person committee to inquire into alleged police excesses when dispersing the sanitation workers’ protest at Ripon Building on August 14.
However, on September 9, another division bench of justices Nisha Banu and S Soundar had stayed this judgement. Speaking on the matter, Kumaraswami said ”Only the Supreme Court can stay the judgement on a division bench judgement of the High Court. This is judicial impropriety. The bench does not have the authority to do it."
He added, "For this issue to be resolved, the Chief Minister and administration must be willing to sit down with the workers for talks. If that does not happen, the workers will continue the protest.”