Control brick prices, says union

The AITUC Construction Workers Union has sought measures to bring down prices of bricks.

N. Selvaraj, State joint secretary of the union, said in a press release that prices of several raw materials used in the construction sector have gone up, threatening the livelihood of thousands of workers in the sector. In the recent days, prices of bricks made in Coimbatore have also shot up.

The officials concerned had taken action against a few brick kilns for operating without mandatory permissions. Earlier, price of a load of bricks (4,500 numbers) used to be ₹35,000. After the closure of some units, the price has shot up to ₹58,000, he said.

While the officials have taken action against the units in Thadagam area, brick kilns in Mettupalayam - Karamadai area have increased the prices. Though the prices of inputs have not gone up, the brick kilns have increased the prices citing the closure of some units.

Several housing projects under the Government schemes are affected because of the high prices and those who are constructing small houses are also hit. Hence, the State government and the district administration should take appropriate action immediately to control the prices, he said.