TN This Week: Construction, Sanitation, Auto, Other Workers Demand Welfare Benefits

Several workers from the unorganised sector, mainly construction, sanitation and autorickshaw drivers, protested on July 5 following a statewide protest call given by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and demanded welfare benefits.

Eight more Sri Lankan nationals arrived in Dhanushkodi fleeing the economic crisis. A 71-year-old woman refugee found unconscious on the shore at Dhanushkodi last week died on July 2 while undergoing treatment. This is the first death of a refugee since the crisis started.

On July 3, officials reported that, at least, 12 Indian fishermen were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy for allegedly poaching in the country’s territorial waters.

Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members held a hunger strike on July 5 alleging that the ruling DMK government hadn’t fulfilled its poll promises. The BJP has also started preparing for the 2024 Lok Sabah election in the state with Union minister of state for road transport, highways and civil aviation VK Singh, who is in charge of four Parliamentary seats in Tamil Nadu, holding discussions with party functionaries in Palayamkottai on July 6.

All the four nominations to the Rajya Sabha announced this week were from southern states. One of them is music composer Ilaiyaraaja, who is from Tamil Nadu.

Six people died and 11 others sustained injuries after a government bus bound for Chidambaram brushed against a lorry in Chengalpattu on July 8. 

As the controversy raged over the poster of filmmaker Leena Manimekalai’s documentary Kaali, the Coimbatore Police arrested the president of a fringe right-wing group for allegedly issuing death threats to the director. Read more

Light-to-heavy rains continued to lash many parts of the state his week. Schools and colleges were declared closed in some parts of the Nilgiris and Coimbatore districts.

Voting to elect 510 local body office-bearers across Tamil Nadu began at 7 am on July 9.

Newsclick brings you a round-up of the happenings this week in Tamil Nadu.

APEX COURT ALLOWS JULY 11 AIADMK MEET

The Supreme Court allowed the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) to hold its general council meeting on July 11. The meeting will discuss abolishing the dual leadership of the party and take a decision to elect a general secretary. Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) will be elected as the party’s interim general secretary.

O Panneerselvam, who is opposed to the unitary leadership, filed a civil suit in the Madras High Court seeking to stay the meeting. On July 8, the court reserved orders to be delivered around 9 am on the day of the meeting.

Meanwhile, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption raided several locations linked to AIADMK’s former minister R Kamaraj and his associates. Income tax officials raided the house and office of AIADMK member Chandrashekar, the publisher of the party’s mouthpiece Namadhu Amma.

Moreover, more people were investigated this week in the former chief minister Jayalalithaa’s Kodanad estate dacoity-cum-murder case.

STATEWIDE INFORMAL WORKERS PROTEST

Workers from the unorganised sector held demonstrations on July 5 following a statewide protest call given by the CITU. Workers engaged in construction and sanitation and autorickshaw drivers demanded Rs 3,000 pension, Rs 5 lakh compensation for natural death, educational assistance and correction in alleged irregularities of welfare boards. Read more

Informal workers protest in Salem. Image courtesy: CITU, Tamil Nadu.

On July 7, sanitation workers in Dharmapuri held a protest demanding regularisation of employment, setting up of a sexual harassment committee at workplace, equal pay for equal work and increase in wages.

EVICTION OPPOSED IN CHENNAI

The residents of Chitlapakkam, Chennai,  protested the water resources department’s fresh attempts to evict 440 families who had encroached on the lake on July 7. Two houses were demolished despite the resistance.

Chitlapakkam residents protest eviction. Image courtesy: Velmurugan Ramakrishnan.

Alleging that the government is being biased, Communist Party of India (Marxist) activist Velmurugan said, “The total area of the lake is 111 acres. These 400-plus houses, which they claim have encroached the lake, are spread over 10 acres.”

RAYON LOOMS SUSPEND WORK

More than 25,000 power looms in Erode suspended production on July 3 as the price of rayon fabric has fallen by Rs 2 to Rs 3 per metre. A month ago, the price was Rs 31 as yarn was sold at Rs 230. Now, the yarn price has fallen to Rs 220 and this has pulled the rayon price down.

COPS DISRUPT DIFFERENTLY-ABLED PROTEST

Dharmapuri Police used force against a peaceful protest by the Tamil Nadu Association for the Rights of All Types of Differently-abled and Caregivers (TARATDAC) outside the Collectorate on July 5. The protestors were forcibly removed and detained.

They were protesting the non-conduct of the mandated monthly grievance meeting at the level of the revenue administration.

FARMERS DEMAND RELEASE OF CROP INSURANCE

Farmers in Kumbakonam held a protest on July 4 in front of the RDO office saying that insurance companies did not release the claims on time. The Tamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangam appealed to the state government to carry out an extensive survey of all rivers, lakes and ponds so as to protect the water resources of the state.

TRAILER OWNERS DEMAND HIKE

Owners of trailers carrying containers to Chennai Port, Kattupalli Port and Kamarajar Port went on strike on July 4 demanding an 80% hike in hire charges due to the increased prices of diesel and spare parts and rising maintenance costs.

DENIED SCHEDULE TRIBE STATUS

Members of the Hindu Adhiyan community staged a protest at the Collectorate in Trichy on July 4 to express their dismay at refusal of the authorities to grant Scheduled Tribe certification to schoolchildren.

SACKED UNI STAFF

The terminated casual labourers and consolidated pay casual labourers of Madurai Kamaraj University staged a protest in front of Kalaignar Karunanidhi statue in Madurai on July 5 seeking reinstatement.