With no jobs for the 24th day owing to indefinite closure of fireworks units, the workers staged protests at several places in the district seeking exemption for the industry from the provisions of Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986.
The police arrested over 250 workers who attempted to stage rail roko at Sattur and Tiruthangal railway stations.
The indefinite closure that began on December 26 after a call given by the All India Federation of Fireworks Associations has affected the livelihood of around 8 lakh workers.
The federation contended that the industry cannot work under “uncertainty” with a public interest litigation pending before the Supreme Court seeking nation-wide ban on the manufacture, sale and use of crackers for “causing air pollution”.
The federation has sought the apex court to expeditiously hear the case.
Only exemption to the fireworks industry from the provisions of Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986 would provide a permanent solution to the industry from “frequent threats seeking ban on the industry in the guise of pollution”.
Workers affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions, led by its district secretary, P.N. Deva, attempted to block trains at the Tiruthangal railway station.
However, a huge posse of police deployed at the station prevented the workers from entering the railway station.
The workers demanded exemption for the industry from Environment (Protection) Rules to enable it to resume its operation.
They also demanded that the State, Centre and fireworks manufacturers provide relief to the jobless workers during the period of closure.
The union wanted the government to take steps to prevent environmentalists from their attempt to ban fireworks that are used only during festivals.
Similar protest was conducted by CITU workers, led by its functionary Mahalakshmi, at Sattur railway station.
Meanwhile, over 200 fireworks workers staged a protest at Sankaralingapuram seeking early resumption of work. An all-party meeting held at Sivakasi on Thursday decided to hold a demonstration at Virudhunagar on Saturday.
The meeting in which leaders of various parties, former Ministers, K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran and Thangam Thennarasu (DMK), former MLA, T. Ramasamy (CPI) and K. Arjunan (CPI-M) took part demanded that the fireworks industry be exempted from the provisions of Environment (Protection) Rules.
