Members of Tamil Nadu Cooperative Societies Employees Association, who work in society-run fair price shops, staged a protest demonstration opposite Anna statue here as part of the State-wide demonstration recently.
The Association had launched the protest with a charter of demands that include equal pay, retirement benefits, and strengthening of the Public Distribution System (PDS).
One of the key demands of the workers was equal pay with the employees of the fair price shops run by Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation (TNCSC). They said that the staff of the TNCSC shops were better paid, with accompanying employment benefits, all of which were denied to the society workers, who do the same job.
They demanded a separate department to control the fair price shops. At present, the PDS was being run and monitored with piecemeal control by over 15 departments. The protestors demanded that the system be brought under the monitoring and control of a single department.
According to the protesters, in pursuant of these demands, the Association members will march to the Collectorate in all district headquarters and stage a token strike on August 8.
The employees of fair price shops in Dharmapuri also staged demonstration.
