The Madras High Court had directed that occupying public footpaths without permission is not allowed. It added that the protest was creating problems to the public including traffic congestion, and ordered the state to clear the protest site.
Published Aug 14, 2025 | 1:09 AM ⚊ Updated Aug 14, 2025 | 7:14 AM
Protestors blocking a road in Chennai.
Synopsis: Sanitation workers of Chennai have been protesting for over 13 days against the plan to privatise their jobs. On Wednesday, the Madras High Court asked the Tamil Nadu government to remove the protestors from outside Greater Chennai Corporation headquarters.
In a massive police crackdown hours after the Madras High Court’s directive, hundreds of protesting sanitation workers were detained in Chennai late on Wednesday night.
Hundreds of sanitation workers have been protesting for over 13 days against the move to privatise their jobs. On Wednesday, 13 August, the Madras High Court asked the Tamil Nadu government to remove the protestors from outside the Greater Chennai Corporation headquarters.
Platoons of police personnel were deployed to clear protesters from the site, citing disturbance to public peace by occupying footpaths and causing traffic congestion.
The high court held that the sanitation workers were protesting in an unauthorised site. A tense situation prevailed outside the Chennai Corporation headquarters as protesters intensified over the police’s attempt to drive out sanitation workers and their supporters, who have been protesting against the MK Stalin-led DMK government.
The high court had directed that occupying public footpaths without permission is not allowed, stating that it is creating a problem for the public, including traffic congestion, and ordered the state to clear the protest site.
The court has also instructed the police to act with restraint and clarified that the workers can continue their agitation at officially designated protest venues after obtaining due permission.
Despite the court’s order, sanitation workers continued to occupy the site, insisting that the government should respond to their justified demands.
Although the court had given them time until Wednesday evening to vacate, the agitating sanitation workers continued to sit in protest at the site. Their defiance led to police intervention and the forceful removal of nearly 800 sanitation workers and their supporters.
The workers have been protesting against the Greater Chennai Corporation’s (GCC) decision to privatise garbage collection in Zones V and VI since 1 August 2025
The privatisation plan, valued at ₹2,500 crore, has led to significant concerns among the workers. They allege that the move has resulted in reduced wages, from ₹23,000 to as low as ₹15,000 and diminished benefits.
Additionally, there are claims of increased workloads and a lack of safety equipment. The workers, who have been employed by the GCC for over 15 years, express frustration over the sudden policy change and the perceived erosion of their job security. The protest has also led to a pile-up of waste in Chennai, causing inconvenience to residents across the city.
(Edited by SF Desk)
