New welfare board formation elates T’kudi salt workers

MADURAI: The workers engaged in salt pans of Thoothukudi, the largest producer in Tamil Nadu, are happy over the formation of a welfare board, which will help them enjoy more benefits provided by the State government.

The government established Tamil Nadu Salt Pan Workers’ Welfare Board under the Tamil Nadu Manual Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Work) Act, 1982.

“It is a welcome relief for the salt pan workers, who waited for many years after repeatedly demanding the constitution of the welfare board,” K Ponraj, president of Salt Workers Union, Thoothukudi said on Saturday.

Over 50,000 workers have been relying on salt pans across Tamil Nadu for their livelihoods and more than 20,000 workers are in Thoothukudi. After repeatedly stressing the need for rain period assistance, the State government extended Rs 5,000 as a relief to a family of salt workers this year.

The salt manufacturing industry is generally categorised as ‘chemical’ and the authorities should ensure adherence to the rule of law under ‘The Factories Act’ and provide all welfare measures to the salt workers.

Many years ago, several salt manufacturers in Gujarat, the largest producer in India, with the intent to avoid paying benefits to the salt workers, took a legal challenge to bring the industry into the agriculture sector, however, the Supreme Court dismissed the suit, he recalled.

G Gragadurai, president, of Thoothukudi Small Scale Salt Manufacturers Association, said even when the workers were in the unorganised sector, they availed certain benefits and now the formation of a welfare board exclusive for the salt workers would be an added advantage. According to S Petchimuthu, a manufacturer, biometric cards should be given to each of the genuine salt workers to directly transfer benefits into their bank accounts. Thanking CM MK Stalin, M Krishnamurthy, district coordinator of Unorganised Workers Federation, said the government should consider allocating funds in State budget in interest of salt workers.