Madurai
The COVID-19 lockdown has burdened families of workers involved in loading and unloading of Indian-made foreign liquor bottles at TASMAC godowns in the State
Over 2,500 loadmen working in the 43 godowns and a similar number of workers who do their job for unloading at TASMAC shops have lost their livelihood ever since the shops were closed on March 24.
“We were earning around ₹ 500 to ₹ 600 a day. And it always remained a tight-rope walking to run the family with this income,” says S. Ayyanan, 55.
Hence, Mr. Ayyanan, who works at the TASMAC godown in Manalur in Sivaganga district, never misses even a single working day to make ends meet for his family of four.
“All loadmen, being illiterate, never had the habit of saving money for the rainy days and hence, our problem has compounded these days,” says his colleague, M. Muniasamy, 42.
Both the loadmen have two school-going children each.
Between the two, Mr. Muniyasamy ‘s plight is better as his wife too was working till the lockdown in a local mill. He has managed with whatever little the family had.
But, Mr. Ayyanan has already started borrowing from his neighbours.
“How long do you think the ₹ 1000 and essential commodities distributed through ration shops can last for a family of four?” he asks.
“How much can we starve? The price of essential goods, including the vegetables, has gone up these days. Except for brinjal and ladies finger, nothing is cheaper these days,” he says.
Both the families have cut down on everything, but basic food to survive.
“But, I cannot say no to my children, who ask for biscuits. We eat lesser these days so that children can eat more,” Mr. Ayyanan says. His wife has even started to cook less quantity of food.
“When the liquor bottles from TASMAC shops were brought back to prevent burglary, we got work for four days amidst lockdown. And that money is now helping me to keeping us remain afloat,” says Mr. Muniyasamy.
“The plight of almost all the loadmen is the same across the State. We have not got any relief, except for that given through ration shops. Our request for quick relief to the TASMAC loadmen has not been heeded so far,” says R. Pandi, CITU secretary, Tamil Nadu Sumaithookkum Thozhilar Sammelanam.
