Workers’ protest puts Ooty flower show in a limbo in TN
NILGIRIS: The protest by gardeners and other workers at Government Botanical Garden (GBG) demanding regularisation of jobs and wage hike entered its 19th day on Monday. Over 150 workers have been staging several forms of protests to attract the state government’s attention. The CPM and Badugadesa Party have extended support to the workers.
Due to the strike, pruning, watering and maintenance of plants, arrangement of flowering plants are likely to be affected ahead of the annual flower show set to commence on May 19. Dried plants have also not been cleared. Maintenance works in popular tourist spots like Rose Garden in Ooty and Sims park in Coonoor, are also affected.
R Ramesh Kumar, president of Nilgiri Mavatta Thottkalai Tholilalarkal Munnetra Sangam, said, “We are demanding salary similar to that of office assistant and mazdoors working in state government offices. We are asking for a hike of Rs 3,000 from the existing salary of Rs 11,773. Though the state government made us permanent, we are not getting benefits like PF and insurance. The government should also convert the farm workers from consolidated pay as well as from Tamil Nadu Horticulture Development Agency (TANHODA) into scale of pay as government employees.”
“It will benefit over 1,000 workers across the district and also in Kallar farm in Coimbatore. For the last two years, wages have not been increased. More than 300 workers are getting Rs 425 per day and it should be increased up to Rs 720,” he said.
Badugadesa Party president Manjai V Mohan who is taking part in the protest said Tourism Minister K Ramachandran held discussion with the protesters on Saturday and asked them to withdraw the protest. However the minister did not give any assurance, instead he wanted to withdraw and then their demands would be met and that’s why the workers have been continuing the protest.
When contacted a senior official of horticulture department said the demands of workers have been sent to the horticulture managing director and he has forwarded it to agriculture production commissioner and secretary to the government. “The government is considering the demands since the distribution of scale pay is a policy decision. However the workers are demanding solution immediately that’s why the protest is continuing. We are convincing them to withdraw the protest to carry out the work as part of flower show,” the official added.