Coimbatore: Sanitary workers of the city corporation staged protests on Wednesday morning, demanding to be considered on par with frontline workers.
Members of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) and the Tamil Nadu Ambedkar Sanitary Workers Association took part in protests across the state.
Workers are not provided safety gear, mainly gloves, said AITUC district secretary N Chandran.
“Corporation officials should check oxygen level of the workers using oximeter every morning and ensure that the workers have safety gear before deploying them for work,” he said.
Seven sanitary workers had died of Covid-19 in the city, said general secretary of the Tamil Nadu Ambedkar Sanitary Workers Association R Tamil Nadu Selvam.
“But the death certificate of only one of them state that he died of Covid.
According to authorities, others had died of kidney failure and breathing trouble even though they were admitted to hospitals after testing positive for the infection.
Because of this, their families won’t be able to get the government’s financial assistance.” “The government order states that the benefits are extended only to those directly involved in Covid-19 work.
We don’t know whether all workers are included in it.
The government should extend the benefits to all the workers of the municipal administration department,” Selvam said.
“The government should give preference to sanitary workers and take steps to vaccinate all of them.
It should provide government job to one of the family members of the deceased and provide Rs 25 lakh ex gratia.”