Midday meal workers stage protest in Shivamogga

TASMAC employees staged a protest outside the TASMAC warehouse on Friday over a raft of demands. The protesters, organised under various trade unions, called for regularisation of work.

Their other demands were concerned with payment of dearness allowances, sick leave and food break, among other basic worker benefits that are given to other department workers but denied to TASMAC staff. The various welfare schemes and benefits extended to the employees of the other government departments are being funded by the revenue from TASMAC. Yet, none of those benefits are available to the workers of the government liquor outlet, they said.

The government is pushing TASMAC workers into slave labour despite the electoral promise made by the ruling TVK before the elections, the protesters alleged. The trade unions demanded a special committe to discuss the grievances and demands of the TASMAC workers.