Municipal workers lay siege to Collectorate

Ongole: The municipal workers affiliated to CITU in the district laid siege to the Collectorate on Wednesday demanding the cancellation of GO No 279. The workers from the divisions of Chirala, Markapur and Kandukur joined the workers at Ongole and blocked the both gates of the Collectorate.

Ch Srinivasa Rao, CITU general secretary of Prakasam district, demanded the cancellation of the GO No 279, which was issued by the State government a few days ago.

He said, “The GO would help contractors and cuts the relation between the workers and the municipality. The GO gives superior powers to the contractor, who can easily remove a worker at his will. This snatches the job security from the workers and forces them to work even in conditions, they could not attend duties. If the contractor fails to pay the salaries though he received from the government, the workers cannot ask the municipality for justice. This GO helps in force implementation of slavery on the municipal workers. We demand cancellation of the GO and continuation of present system.”

The situation turned tense when the police tried to remove the agitating municipal workers from the Collectorate. A few women workers fell unconscious while the police applied force. The police arrested the leaders and dispersed the workers.