Panjayat Workers Seeks Salary Hike
Members of Coimbatore District Local Administration Department Workers’ Union along with their family members observing a fast in Tirupur seeking hike in wages. More than 30 persons owing allegiance to the Coimbatore District Local Administration Department Workers’ Union affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions on Friday observed a day-long fast in front of the Veerapandi panchayat office, on the outskirts of Tirupur, demanding wage hike.The union president, K. Ponnusamy, inaugurated the protest, which was led by K. Gubendran. K. Rangaraj, district secretary of the union, said that more than 20,000 persons were working in 12,168 village panchayats across the State as water tank operators and sweepers. They were getting a monthly wage of Rs. 600 and there had been no fixed working hours. Mr. Rangaraj urged the government to fix the workers and hike the wages in proportion with spiralling prices of essentials.
He said the poor workers neither enjoyed pension benefits nor gratuity. There was no job guarantee and service record for workers. He demanded disbursement of Rs. 1 lakh as solatium to the family of Karuppasamy, a worker in Veerpandi Panchayat, who died a year ago.
