HC allows plea by sanitary workers

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court today allowed a writ petition of the sanitary workers of the city corporation seeking to regularise their services as per Tamil Nadu Industrial Establishment (Conferment of Permanent Status) Act 1982.
Justice S Vaidhyanathan rejected the contention of the Corporation that the workmen were appointed on daily wages basis in the corporation and they had not produced any material to show that they had worked for 480 days continuously over a period of two years and they did not fulfill the statutory requiment of the act.
The Judge said that Sanitary workers had worked continuously and their pay had been credited. The Labour Inspector had also ordered to regularise their services as per the Act. He said the corporation should regularise their services within two months should pay their backwages within six months.

He also said if the corporation did not comply with the court order, it was open to the workmen to make necessary complaint under the provisions of the act for prosecuting the officials of the corporation so that to bring the issue to a logical end.
He also directed the concerned authorities to sanciton prosecution within a month after hearing the managment. He directed the criminal court, where in the case would be filed against the officials for non-compliance of labour act, that it would deal with the case on a day-to-day basis and would not adjourn the matter beyond two working days.

The Judge also dismissed the writ petition filed by the corporation against the order of the labour inspector who said that the sanitary workers should be regularised.
The workers who were also on strike for the past four days withdrew their agitation today after the order was prounounced.