Vellore Mayor hikes conservancy staff wages after sit-in protest

VELLORE: Mayor Sujatha Anandakumar announced a wage increase for the local body’s conservancy staff working on contract basis following the affected workers staging a sit-in in front of her office on Wednesday.

In a release, the Mayor said that of the 1,237 conservancy staff attached to the Vellore Corporation, 977 were working on contract basis.

The latter were paid Rs 426 a day including provident fund and ESI.

They were mainly involved in collecting segregated garbage from households and ferrying it to solid waste composting centres located in various parts of the town.

However, keeping in mind their dedication to work and the fact that prices had risen steeply, she said the daily wages of contract staff would be raised to Rs 535 with effect from August 1, 2022 even if placed an additional financial burden on the local body.