TN first in India to set up welfare board for salt workers

CHENNAI: A 33-year-old salt worker Ramalakshmi of Mudukkukadu village in Thoothukudi district welcomed the state government’s order to constitute an exclusive welfare board for the workers like her. She said that it is a decade-long demand of the salt workers.

“We want a separate welfare board for salt workers. It will give us the platform to flag our issues and get redressed to improve our living conditions with assistance,” said Ramalakshmi. She was among the 80 odd women from her village eking out their living in saltpans.

The state has passed an order recently to create the Tamil Nadu Salt Workers Welfare Board. It would extend welfare measures and assistance on par with the unorganised welfare board to registered members. It would function with 9,809 saltpan workers as members, who are already registered in TN Manual Workers Welfare Board, while a drive would be carried out to enroll new members.

“It is the first such welfare board for salt workers in the country. Though Gujarat leads the country in the sector, it lacks such facilities,” said M Krishnamoorthy of Unorganised Workers Federation. They also sought a monitoring committee. “We hope that the welfare board will reintroduce the cess, which existed till labour codes on social security framed, to raise funds to meet medical, education and other needs of the workers. We also want the welfare boards to launch housing schemes and include the sector in occupational health hazardous industries’ list,” R Geetha of UWF said.

Workers insist that the authorities construct toilets and drinking water facilities at the worksite. “Many women workers are having several health complications due to lack of basic amenities and resting place,” Geetha added.