MADURAI: Alleging that the price hike of construction materials has left them without any job opportunities, as many as 60 lorries and mini pick up vehicles associated with the All Lorries Association in Madurai began a one-week-long strike from Tuesday.
The cost of construction materials has gone up by Rs 1,000 per unit, said the lorry operators, who halted their vehicles at an open space in Usilampatti. According to the protesters, the hike in price of construction materials like M-sand, P-sand and gravel by quarries has left the logistics workers in misery.
Speaking to TNIE, Mathusuthanam, a member of the All Lorries Association, opined, "Earlier, one unit of sand had cost `3,000 (a single load consists of four units and one load costs `12,000). However, recently, the prices have gone up by `1,000 per unit. As a result, the price of a single load is now costing around `16,000 (`4,000 per unit)."
He further said that the price hike has adversely affected the livelihood of lorry operators, as customers refuse to purchase the materials at higher prices. "Apart from fuel and maintenance charges, we have to pay for loading works and also the drivers.
With the price hike, we are forced to bear these expenses, as the customers are refusing to do so. Hence, we have resorted to a week-long protest to reduce the cost," he added.
When contacted, a quarry owner from Madurai, under the condition of anonymity, told TNIE, "From electricity to machinery, there has been rise in prices in all sectors, and this has led to the increase in construction material prices like M-Sand, P-Sand and gravel, among others."