CUDDALORE: Fair price shop workers continued their strike on Wednesday for the second consecutive day and held a protest near the Gandhi statue in Chidambaram.
The Tamil Nadu Fair Price Shop Workers’ Association organised the demonstration as part of a three-day strike that began on Tuesday. Workers demanded that the government hold talks regarding their 30-point charter of demands. District-level functionaries of the association led the protest.
K Balasubramanian, special president of the Tamil Nadu Fair Price Shop Workers’ Association, supported the protest and addressed the gathering. State president K Jayachandraraja also explained the workers' demands during his speech.
Speaking to reporters, Balasubramanian said, “Workers employed under the Public Distribution System in the cooperative sector have raised several demands. These include reinstating the previous 40% exemption for fingerprint verification for family cardholders, improving online service at sales points, and appointing weighmen at all fair price shops.”
He added, “We are also demanding that the Public Distribution System be declared a separate department, salaries be provided based on educational qualifications, fair price shop salespersons with a Plus Two qualification be recognised as assistants and paid accordingly, and weighmen with Class 10 qualification be recognised as junior assistants and given appropriate salaries.”
He further said, “A pay revision committee must be formed under the leadership of an IAS officer, and fair price shop workers should be included in the 9th State Pay Commission. We are also urging the government to reintroduce the system of distributing items in packages.”