The members of the All India Central Council for Trade Unions (AICCTU) staged a demonstration near Red Cross on Friday demanding action against the Corporation officials after two sanitary workers died while cleaning a manhole in Madurai on Thursday.

The members also demanded that solatium of Rs.25 lakhs be given to the families of the victims, and a government job be provided to the kin of the victims.

The deceased, G. Muniyandi (28) and D. Viswanathan (25) from Madurai, asphyxiated in the drain while cleaning the blocks. The incident had occurred despite a clear order from the Madras High Court banning humans from entering manholes, septic tanks and drainage pipes. Protesting members of the AICCTU demanded that legal actions be taken against the corporation officials and the contractor for violating the court order. They demanded that workers be replaced with machines.

“The workers should be given alternative government jobs instead of sanitary works,” said M.S. Velmurugan from CPI (ML). He added that equal salary should be given to male and female workers and the minimum salary be raised to Rs.20000 per month. “The ESI, PF, and shares of the contract employees are not properly given to the workers. Permanent jobs should also be given to 15,000 workers and all the vacancies should be filled,” he said.