Tamil Nadu: TASMAC Headload Workers Demand Wage Hike; Plan Indefinite Strike if Demand Unmet
At the protest held in Salem. Image courtesy: CITU, Tamil Nadu
The Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU)-affiliated TASMAC Head Loaders Association demanded that the management increase wages from Rs 5.50 to Rs 9 and from Rs 4 to Rs 8 for every carton of liquor. They unload cartons from the breweries into the godowns and load them for supply from the godowns.
The Association’s state president, R Venkatapathy, addressed the demonstration held in Namakkal. He said, “Headload workers get wage hikes every two years. At present, three years have passed, and there is no sign of a wage hike.”
The Association pointed out that prices of all commodities have shot up in the past few years, including the price of alcohol sold by TASMAC. The headload workers directly fall under the purview of the state-run corporation, but they are not government employees and do not have job security or any benefits. These workers are not the same as the workers doing loading and unloading work at the TASMAC liquor depots.
The state-owned Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) has a monopoly over wholesale and retail vending of alcoholic beverages. It controls the Indian Made Foreign Liquor trade in the state.
MINISTER’S DIRECTION ‘NOT FOLLOWED’
S Muthusamy, the minister in charge of prohibition, excise, and molasses, has directed the TASMAC management to increase the minimum wages for headload workers. Yet, the management has refused to act accordingly, and this has angered the workers. The protests were directed against the management, condemning their attitude.
Venkatapathy said, “We held several protests in the past year and had meetings with the managing director of TASMAC. We also met Minister Muthusamy and urged him to take appropriate action to increase wages. Following this, the minister instructed the managing director of TASMAC to immediately talk to the liquor manufacturers and take steps to increase the wages.”
“Even after these efforts, when our union leaders met the managing director of TASMAC on November 1, there seems to have been no arrangements made for a wage hike. It is not acceptable that the TASMAC management did not take appropriate action despite the minister’s instructions,” he added.
He further stated, “The minister should immediately intervene and find a solution to increase wages.” The Association announced that if their demands are not addressed by the Tamil Nadu government and the TASMAC administration, they will go on an indefinite strike from November 29.
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