Demanding the Madurai Corporation to implement their genuine demands, including implementation of the High Court Bench order to regularise the jobs of 389 daily wagers as permanent employees, the CITU affiliated workers staged a sit-in protest at the Anna Maaligai, the headquarters of the civic body on Monday.

Around 1,200 workers staged a protest from the morning and as a result, garbage lifting exercise was largely affected in the city, the agitators claimed and added that they would not rest until the private contract firm’s order was cancelled.

The workers said that they were yet to get the incentive of ₹15,000 promised during the COVID-19 pandemic. The agitators said that the daily wage earners were promised ₹784 per day by the government. However, it has not been implemented. Similarly, the government should give one month’s salary as bonus to the workers in view of Deepavali.

CITU trade union leader Balasubramanian said that they had held five rounds of talks from the morning with the officials and they were hopeful of reaching an agreement. “Commissioner Chitra Vijayan and her officials listened to us patiently and we expect a favourable response by tonight,” he added.

In the event of not reaching any agreement, the striking workers said that they would continue with their sit-in protest. However, a senior official of the Madurai Corporation said that they have informed the police and the workers may be detained. The CITU leader said that in the event of not arriving at a solution, the agitators would court arrest. “The strike will intensify on Tuesday”, he noted.

Meanwhile, officials said that demands like regularisation of daily wagers as permanent employees involved the approval of the government. Issues like pay parity and providing gadgets for workers by the contract firm can be met with without much delay.