Sri Vijaya Puram witnessed a massive show of strength by municipal workers on 3 September 2025, as hundreds took to the streets in a protest organized by the Nagarpalika Shramik Sangh (CITU). The demonstration, drawing daily-rated mazdoors (DRMs) and regular employees, placed renewed pressure on the administration to act on long-pending demands regarding pay, service regularization, and working conditions.
The protest began with a large procession from Delanipur Playground, winding through prominent areas before culminating in front of the Municipal Council office at Mohanpura. There, workers staged a peaceful but forceful demonstration, carrying banners and placards while voicing their demands in unison. The turnout, cutting across categories of employees, signaled strong backing for the issues raised.
Among the demands highlighted were the provision of 1/30th of pay plus Dearness Allowance for all DRMs, regularization of services for long-serving workers, reinstatement of retrenched employees, filling of promotional vacancies in line with seniority, and the guarantee of weekly offs for sanitation and water supply staff. Protesters also pressed for an end to the alleged misuse of municipal workers by officials and elected representatives.
B. Chandrachoodan, President of the Nagarpalika Shramik Sangh, led the charge against the BJP-led Sri Vijaya Puram Municipal Council and the Central government, accusing them of dragging their feet on regularizing DRMs despite decades of service. He pointed out that many workers had completed between 15 and 25 years of uninterrupted employment, yet remained deprived of security and benefits. He also highlighted unsafe working conditions, noting the absence of uniforms, gloves, and protective gear, which placed both safety and dignity at risk.
Union General Secretary SP Kalairajan amplified concerns over the alleged misuse of workers, describing it as a persistent issue requiring urgent administrative intervention. State-level leaders of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), including President R. Surendran Pillai and Secretary P. Sathyapal, expressed solidarity, underscoring the wider implications of the protest for municipal labor rights across the region.
The demonstration was steered by a core group of leaders including Chandrachoodan, Kalairajan, M. Yugander, Lakshman, and Arulanand. Despite its scale and intensity, the protest remained orderly, with workers determined to ensure their voices were heard without disruption.
The 3 September protest stands as a clear signal of mounting frustration among municipal workers in Sri Vijaya Puram. With issues of pay, job status, and working conditions unresolved for years, the administration now faces growing pressure to deliver long-promised reforms and restore confidence among its workforce.
