A Brief Backdrop
Sanitation workers of Zones 5 and 6 of GCC, employed under the NULM (National Urban Livelihood Mission) scheme directly by the Corporation, have been opposing the outsourcing of the job of solid waste management. This follows a GCC resolution in April approving outsourcing for a monthly contract of Rs. 273 crores. Outsourcing comes with wage cuts, and for these workers—who have put in 5 to 20 years of service to keep the city clean—it means the end of their status as NULM workers from 01.08.2025, and thus illegal retrenchment and insecure jobs. The waste management has already been outsourced in other 11 zones when AIADMK was in power. The DMK led GCC has now decided to outsource two zones and such an attempt in another zone was stalled by the union through a combination of street and legal battles.
These sanitation workers—many of whom are Arundhathiyars, Adidravidars, poor from all castes, and mainly women—belong to the very communities whose interests the DMK government claims to champion. For them, dignity has long been a major casualty, and neglect is systemic.
Eighty percent of these workers are women—many single mothers and sole breadwinners. They secured statutory minimum wages only after years of street struggles and court battles under the TRF banner. Their daily wages gradually increased from Rs. 410 to Rs.753 through struggles, amounting to a monthly salary of Rs.23,000. If outsourced, their wages would be slashed to Rs.15,000. They refused to accept a wage cut simply to fill corporate coffers as even Rs.23,000 that they were already getting was insufficient to manage their families in a city like Chennai.
In June 2025, sanitation workers of Zones 5 and 6 launched a mass campaign for permanency and against outsourcing. Over 1,000 workers met lakhs of residents, raised Rs.7 lakh in funds, and won significant public support. Their campaign also had a legal dimension, with petitions for regularisation and against outsourcing.
On July 1, they staged a gherao of the GCC office at Ripon Building under the leadership of Comrade Bharathi, the president of AICCTU (TN) and TRF. Arrested and released on the same day, they refused to disperse until officials assured them of a meeting with the Commissioner. When this assurance was not honoured, they staged another demonstration on July 4 before the Collector’s office.
On July 9, workers found contractor vehicles at the zonal office and immediately launched a road roko. The police detained them in two halls, and later released them after officials promised further talks. On July 25, five women workers began an indefinite hunger strike at the LTUC office demanding permanency and opposing outsourcing. Leaders from CPI, CPI(M), VCK, DMDK, SDPI, Thamizhar Vazhvurimai Katchi, CITU, AITUC, HMS, UTUC, and AIUTUC visited and extended support. On the third day, one woman fainted and was hospitalised, but others continued.
Forced by the hunger strike of women workers and also as directed by the court, on July 28, the government issued a GO referring the issue of outsourcing to the court which was received by the union on 30 July. As laid by section 33/1 of ID Act, any change in working conditions without the permission of the court during pendency of a dispute, is illegal and punishable. Hence, the working condition of sanitation workers can not be altered, including retrenchment in this case, without the permission of the court or until the court disposed off the matter.
Based on the reference of the dispute to the court, the hunger strike was withdrawn. But the relief was short-lived. On 31.07.2025, workers were told that their NULM jobs had ended, and they were asked to join the contractor company Enviro Solutions from 01 Aug 2025. Workers launched a sit-in before GCC headquarters at Ripon Building which is at a prime location in the centre of the city protesting the action of the administration.
The 13-Day Sit-In Protest
Workers from Zones 5 and 6 began their sit-in protest from August 1, at Ripon Building demanding restoration of their NULM jobs and against the outsourcing. Their struggle went viral on social media, drawing wide support—from CPI, CPI(M), VCK to BJP, from CTUs to celebrities, students, advocates, and democratic forces across Tamil Nadu. The ruling DMK led state government and the corporation, however, stood firmly against workers and for outsourcing.
The protest quickly became a “talk of the town.” People at large understood and supported the demand. Except for a few pro-DMK YouTube channels, social media rallied behind the workers. Mainstream media too carried regular coverage. Neelam Social, run by a film director Pa. Ranjith, documented the protest daily and released a powerful short documentary.
Meanwhile, garbage piled up in both zones, posing health hazards for locals. Solidarity demonstrations spread to other districts, with AICCTU and CITU organising protests. CPIM State Secretary Com. Shanmugam and VCK President Com. Thirumavalavan met the Chief Minister, urging a solution.
Negotiations began and around seven rounds of talks were held involving ministers and GCC authorities. The government insisted that privatisation was a government policy and cannot be withdrawn, but workers stood firm and said a loud “No outsourcing.” As the Independence Day was nearing, workers waved the tricolour and declared: “No freedom without permanency”
Police Crackdown
On August 13, the Madras High Court, acting on a ruling party sponsored PIL, directed the police to evict protestors from the unauthorised place. Hundreds of police personnel surrounded Ripon Building the same night. Roads were blocked, the area cordoned off, and the Ripon Building was lit in tricolour when the eviction and the crackdown began at midnight.
Women were dragged and thrown into vans by women police. Leaders including Comrade Bharathi, Janakiraman, Suresh, and Jothi were forcibly detained. Over 1,000 workers were arrested, sent to eight remote locations in the city and held for 24 hours. Many were injured, some fainted but were not treated. Chaos reigned, and for hours families did not know where their loved ones were.
They were released only the next evening (August 14), after the intervention by the High Court based on a Habeas Corpus petition. Advocates associations staged joint protests demanding the release of Comrade Bharathi, other advocates and workers. Solidarity demonstrations by AICCTU and other organisations were held across the state.
After the Crackdown
Undeterred by the state repression, workers gathered at the LTUC office, on August 15, observed Independence Day and pledged to carry the struggle forward. On the same day, GCC announced that it would postpone outsourcing plans in Zones 4 and 8 until the assembly elections in 2026 in order to avoid workers unrest — a significant victory for the protestors.
Meanwhile, the courts barred Comrades Bharathi and Suresh from speaking or writing on sanitation workers, even when the court ordered a one-person commission to probe into police excesses on the midnight of August 13-14 which was subsequently withheld by the court when the judges were changed. False cases were slapped against union leaders, including Comrades Kumarasami, Bharathi, Suresh, Eraniappan, and Adhiyaman.
The battle is on. The union petitioned to resume the protest at a designated site, but the police refused saying that it can cause a law and order problem. Workers, however, continue to adopt novel forms of protests. On 29.08.2025, over 1,300 workers individually submitted letters at zonal offices demanding reinstatement under NULM. A protest public meeting organised at Chennai, as a part of the state call of AICCTU, was attended by more than 1000 workers and was addressed by comrade Kumarasami. Workers assembled at May day Park in Chennai on 4 Sep to discuss future plans but were rounded off by the police, arrested and released only at night. The media was prohibited from meeting workers by the police which was condemned by the Chennai Media associations. 13 women sanitation workers’ leaders began their hunger strike at their house, a private place in a sanitation workers slum on 8 September but were arrested within an hour and released past midnight. Workers again sat in front of the Toilers Statue in Marina Beach the next day but were again arrested by the police. Workers continued their hunger fast under police custody as well. Workers relentlessly continue with protests in various forms and places in Chennai.
AICCTU called for statewide protest demonstrations on August 14th and September 2 condemning police attempts to silence AICCTU and LTUC leaders by slapping false cases and demanding permanency and implementation of minimum wages for all sanitation workers in Tamil Nadu as per GO 62.
AICCTU and All India Municipal and Sanitation Workers Federation (AIMSWF) declared an all India protest day 18 August and protest demonstrations were held across the country.
AICCTU, LTUC and TRF conducted a propaganda campaign seeking justice for sanitation workers from 10 to 17 September, covering eight districts. The campaign was to be inaugurated by the state president of AICCTU, Comrade Bharathi, on 10 September at Coimbatore, but permission was denied at the originating place itself. Still, the campaign was launched by Comrade Bharathi through a meeting of sanitation workers at the Pricol Workers’ Union office. Another meeting planned at a community hall in a workers’ locality was also denied permission, and finally the meeting was held at a worker’s house and was addressed by Comrades Desikan, Govindaraj and Balasubramanian.
Despite heavy obstacles created by the police and the state, the campaign was successfully carried out. Programmes were conducted across the state including in Chennai, Tenkasi and other districts. The workers and the unions remain determined to carry forward the struggle for permanency, minimum wages, and against outsourcing and false fabricated cases.
