Tasmac workers stage stir

April 24, 2013 10:46 am | Updated June 10, 2016 01:25 am IST - CHENNAI:

CHENNAI  23-04-2013---   Employees with their family members of TASMAC participated in a rally for various demands in Chennai.   Photo: K_V_Srinivasan

CHENNAI 23-04-2013--- Employees with their family members of TASMAC participated in a rally for various demands in Chennai. Photo: K_V_Srinivasan

Tasmac employee groups are hitting the streets to press for a raft of demands, including job permanency, better pay structure and revocation of sales targets.

On Tuesday, members of CITU- backed Tasmac Uzhiyar Manila Sanmelanam (TUMS) spilled on to Rukmani Lakshmipathy Salai in Egmore, along with their families, for a rally. On Wednesday, members of Tamil Nadu Tasmac Paniyalargal Sangam (TNTPS), attached to AITUC, are expected to stage an agitation at Chepauk.

The protests, which follow many others in recent months across Tamil Nadu, reiterate long-standing demands. “At present, 28,650 workers, recruited on a temporary basis, man the Tasmac outlets across the State. Without any service register and rules for them, this vast group is denied even basic benefits. As the outlets are understaffed, the majority of them go without weekly offs,” said D. Dhanasekaran, general secretary of TNTPS.

“These workers are not covered by the Tamil Nadu Shops and Establishment Act, and as a result, they end up having 12-hour days without any overtime pay,” said K. Thiruselvan, general secretary, TUMS.

“The current pay structure is poor with a supervisor drawing a monthly income of Rs. 5,500, a salesman Rs. 4,000 and an assistant salesman Rs. 3,000,” said Mr. Dhanasekaran.

The groups also appealed for reinstatement of Tasmac workers suspended for selling liquor above MRP prices on a humanitarian basis. “Those who sold liquor at extra-MRP rates, ranging from Rs. 2 to Rs. 5, have been taken back. Even others, who sold liquor at even higher rates, should be reinstated at the earliest,” said Mr. Dhanasekaran. “We don’t justify their act, but only seek clemency.”

Other demands include “a fair inquiry into charges of adulteration and an end to penalties for bottle breakages that are a result of improper loading and handling.”

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.