The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Quarry workers demand wage hike

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 28, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Quarry workers demand wage hike

Staff Reporter

Say they have received only a marginal rise

TAMBARAM : Workers of stone quarries on Thursday staged a demonstration in Tambaram demanding a hike in wages, besides government intervention to address their grievances.

The demonstration was organised by the All India Trade Union Congress near Tambaram Tahsildar's office. Stating that about 2,000 men and women — mostly from Tirunelveli, Salem and other districts of Tamil Nadu — were employed in quarries near Pallavaram, the protesters said very little was done for the welfare.

Some of the workers from the quarries in Tirusulam said the price of a load of stone had increased from Rs. 225 in 1996 to Rs. 430 now. But they had received only a marginal rise in wages — from Rs. 65 to Rs 70 in the past 10 years.

Rs. 70 was given for every 125 cubic feet of stone they broke in groups of about five. On this basis, the workers received around Rs. 150 a day , but there was no guarantee of work everyday.

The plight of the workers was pitiable, said A.S. Kannan, CPI MLA, who led the demonstration.

Mr. Kannan said he had raised the issue in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, but there had been no improvement in the condition of workers employed in hazardous conditions.

Their demand that the wage should be fixed at the rate of Re.1 for a cubic foot of stone they broke was fair and just.

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