TASMAC workers left high and dry as 717 shops shut across Tamil Nadu

B. Soundarraj has spent 23 years down the antagonistic of a TASMAC store astatine the Pudukkottai municipality autobus basal — the precise crushed it was ordered unopen connected May 12. Ten days on, helium is yet to person a transportation oregon redeployment missive oregon perceive from the higher-ups successful TASMAC.

“My 2 daughters successful Chennai are waiting for coaching fees — 1 preparing for slope exams, the different for the UPSC,” helium said and added: “I don’t cognize what to archer them.”

On May 12, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay directed the TASMAC to adjacent 717 retail outlets located wrong 500 metres of places of worship, acquisition institutions, and autobus stands — retired of 4,765 shops crossed the State. The order, welcomed by the public, was soundless connected the employees of the 717 shops.

In Pudukkottai, 11 of the 16 shops person been shut. In Tiruchi, 10 retired of 16 shops, and successful Thanjavur, each six shops person been unopen — leaving implicit 40 supervisors, salesmen, and enactment unit without a workstation. In Nagapattinam and Mayiladuthurai, 7 much fig of shops person been closed, with Tiruvarur figures inactive emerging.

The wages these workers instrumentality location are modest. A supervisor draws a gross wage of ₹16,850 and his take-home wage is ₹14,740. A salesman grosses ₹14,530, taking location ₹12,476. An adjunct salesman’s gross of ₹13,340 leaves him ₹11,429 astatine month’s extremity — aft deductions, a sum that covers a child’s monthly tuition interest astatine a coaching instauration successful Chennai.

For Mr. Soundarraj, a supervisor, the ₹14,740 helium takes location each period has been the sole thread holding 2 daughters’ ambitions successful place.

In Nagapattinam, salesman R. Babu — whose ₹12,476 in-hand pays for his daughter’s Class IX fees astatine a backstage schoolhouse — is facing the aforesaid wall. “What bash I archer them?” helium asked. “That the authorities closed my store but forgot to archer maine what comes next?”

Multiple employees, unwilling to beryllium named for fearfulness of reprisal, said they had received thing successful penning — not adjacent informal connection — astir whether they would beryllium transferred, redeployed, oregon simply near successful suspension. “Not adjacent a WhatsApp connection from the office,” said 1 Tiruchi salesman with implicit a decennary of service.

Kodeeswaran S. of the AITUC TASMAC national successful Thanjavur has met the District Manager connected behalf of the affected workers. “He heard us. But helium has nary answers,” helium said.

The quality arithmetic is considerable: 717 shops, each staffed by 5 to 15 imperishable employees, points to a disruption touching astir 3,600 workers statewide — with nary nationalist modulation program successful sight.

When The Hindu contacted territory managers successful Tiruchi, Pudukkottai, and neighbouring districts, each confirmed that a State-level gathering betwixt the TASMAC Managing Director, Senior Regional Managers, and District Managers was scheduled for Friday — and that further clarity would look by Monday.