Talks With Municipal Workers Fail; Strike to Continue

Vijayawada: The talks between the ‘group of ministers’ and leaders of municipal workers' unions as also associations, on the demands of striking municipal workers in Andhra Pradesh, have failed.

The talks were held in the Secretariat at Velagapudi on Tuesday. Municipal workers demanded regularization and equal pay for equal work. The ministers said this was not possible at present due to the state’s financial difficulties.

The talks were held in the wake of the strike by sanitation workers across the state for the past one week.

Education minister Botsa Satyanarayana, municipal administration Minister Adimulapu Suresh and government adviser (Public Affairs) Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy along with higher officials participated in the meeting.

Minister Suresh told the media that a few demands were accepted. The non-PHC category employees will be given an occupational health allowance of Rs.6,000. “We will solve the Roster, PF Accounts and Ex Gratia issues of the employees.”

He said that problems of skilled and unskilled personnel and other issues would be discussed again, and urged the workers to end the strike. “The effect of the strike is felt only in 50 municipalities. Alternative arrangements have been made where there are issues,” he said.

Municipal workers union leader Umamaheswara Rao said the talks have failed. “We are not going to end the strike if basic wages are not given. The strike will continue as it is. The government did not discuss our main demand. Even though the YSRC manifesto says ‘equal pay for equal work,’ the ministers dragged their feet on this,” he said.

"The government cannot suppress our movement. Garbage tax, electricity charges and property tax have been increased but the government says they don’t have the money to pay the workers. “We will stop water and sanitation services in municipalities,” Rao said.

Government advisers (Employee Welfare) Chandra Shekhara Reddy, municipal and urban development department special chief secretary Y Sreelakshmi, CDMA Koteswara Rao, Swachhandhra Corporation VC & MD Gandham Chandradudu, APCAS MD Vasudeva Rao and other officials were present at the talks.

State municipal employees union leaders Anand Rao (YSRTUC), YV Ramana (YSRTUC), A Ranganayakulu (AITUC), P Subbarayudu (AITUC), Abraham Lincoln (IFTU), G Prasad (APCITU, K Umamaheswara Rao (APCITU), G Raghuramaraj ( TNTU), Shyam (TNTUC), Madhu Babu (APMEW), Anjaneyulu (APMEW), Varaprasad (AICTU), K Srinivasa Rao (AICTU) participated in the talks.