Salt workers under the banner of Tamil Nadu Desia Uppala Thozhilalar Sammelanam, affiliated to INTUC, staged demonstration here on Friday evening in support of their demands.
Pressing a seven-point charter of demands, A.P.C.V. Shanmugam, vice president, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, who led the agitation near Chidambara Nagar junction on Palayamkottai road here, sought en exclusive welfare board for salt workers here. Besides, he said there was a need for providing relief to salt pan workers when they were off on rain hit days.
Considering the economic conditions of these workers, the government should offer free education and provide industrial training to children of salt workers and also extend housing facilities for them.
Other demands
Citing other demands, he sought the intervention of government to protect these workers by contributing towards Employees State Insurance (ESI) and providend fund.
Moreover, a separate ward should be established in government hospital for providing medical services to needy salt workers, he said.