MADURAI: Demanding the authorities to fix minimum wages for them, members of the All Liquified Petroleum Gas Cylinder Men Trade Union (ALL LPG CDMTU) have planned a statewide protest on October 26.
Addressing media persons, the union’s state deputy president R Rajendran said that over 10,000 employees are engaged in delivering LPG cylinders to households and commercial users. Though the oil corporations give Rs 32.50 to the agencies for delivering cylinders, the reality is that none of the agencies have paid salaries, he said.
He further stated that agencies across the state just deposit salaries ranging Rs 3,000 to Rs 7,000 to employees' accounts, which will later be retrieved by the agencies.
"Employees live in poor conditions and they don't have any benefits as prescribed by the labour laws. Employees survive on tips they get from consumers. An average of Rs 20 would be given by the consumers while distributing cylinders. Of this, the agencies take Rs 10 from us, he alleged.
He also stated that pressing their demands, all LPG cylinder delivery persons will stage a one-day protest by boycotting cylinder deliveries across the state on October 26.
He requested the authorities of the labour department and Chief Minister MK Stalin to intervene and fix minimum wages.