The controversy over the Thiruvananthapuram city Corporation's decision to suspend seven sanitation workers and terminate four temporary cleaning staff allegedly for dumping food served as Onasadya continued to simmer on Friday with divergent views coming out from the CPI(M) party leadership.
Answering questions from presspersons during a press conference at Kannur, CPI(M) State Secretary M.V.Govindan said it is not the party's stance to suspend or dismiss anyone for taking part in protests. However, he said a final say on the matter can be made only after ascertaining the nature of the protest from the ground.
Earlier in the day, CPI(M) Thiruvananthapuram District Secretary Anavoor Nagappan had said the act of dumping Onasadya in a waste bin is imprudent. Those who have any issues should have raised it with the Mayor, he said, adding that the Mayor will address the issue.
The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) as well as the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) had condemned the action and demanded that the workers be reinstated.
According to the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation Workers' Association, affiliated to CITU, the workers had reported to work on that day at 5 a.m, instead of 7 a.m, as they had planned to celebrate Onam. They had finished the day's work by around 9 a.m and had cleared a space near the Chala health circle office for organising Onam celebrations.
However, a junior health inspector arrived at the spot with a tipper lorry and took them for drain cleaning work at Attakkulangara, pouring cold water on their celebrations and leading to the protests.
