The Erode District Local Bodies Employees’ Union, affiliated to AITUC, urged the Erode Corporation to immediately implement the assurances given to sanitation workers during talks held after their strike against the proposed outsourcing of sanitation services.

In a representation submitted to Corporation Commissioner Arpit Jain, S. Chinnasamy, AITUC State secretary and president of the Erode District Local Bodies Employees’ Union, said sanitation workers had gone on strike and staged a protest at the Corporation office on June 22, opposing the State government’s move to outsource sanitation work in 12 municipal corporations, including Erode.

Following the protest, talks were held between Corporation officials and representatives of trade unions and political parties. Mr. Chinnasamy said the Corporation administration had assured that the objections raised by trade unions and political parties against the outsourcing proposal would be conveyed to the government. It had also agreed to place a resolution before the Corporation Council before the end of June, urging the government to withdraw the proposal.

Mr. Chinnasamy said the Corporation had also agreed to grant retrospective wage revisions to all non-permanent employees, including self-help group and contract workers, in accordance with Government Order No. 62. The revision provides for a wage increase of ₹7 a day for 2025-26 and a further ₹2 a day for 2026-27, taking the total increase to ₹9 a day.

According to the representation, the Corporation also assured that all non-permanent workers would be enrolled under the Employees’ State Insurance (ESI) scheme and that those not covered under the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) scheme would be brought under it immediately. It also agreed to replace identity cards issued in the names of self-help groups with official Corporation identity cards carrying workers’ photographs.

The union further said it had been agreed that workers who participated in the strike would be allowed to resume duty after signing the attendance register and that no deduction would be made from their wages. Seeking early implementation of these assurances, the union urged the Corporation to honour all commitments made during the negotiations.