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Tamil Nadu
Protest against “low wages”
: For more wages: Farm workers at the Madurai Collectorate on Monday.
MADURAI: A large number of farm workers, including women, and members of the Communist Party of India staged a demonstration in front of the Collectorate here on Monday in protest against “low wages” paid by Agricultural College and Research Institute to casual labourers employed in the campus farm.
A delegation, led by P. Kalidas, CPI urban district secretary, submitted a memorandum to Collector P. Seetharaman, who assured to look into their grievances.
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Kalidas said that the Collector had, through an order, fixed Rs. 105 as daily wage based on the prevailing market rates.
However, the college disbursed only Rs. 80 as daily wage to labourers. The college authorities justified it on some “vague calculations,” which was not acceptable.
The workers wanted the college administration to disburse Rs. 105 as per the agreement and pay the arrears immediately.
They alleged that there were no medicines available for snake bite.
Mr. Kalidas said that the problem was similar for the 3,500 casual labourers working in seven agricultural colleges in the State. He urged the government to intervene in the issue.
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