Cooperative wholesale stores to launch state wide stir

Chennai, Sept 23 (UNI) The Confederation of Tamil Nadu Cooperative Wholesale Stores Central Trade Unions would stage a state-wide agitation on September 29 to press their charter of demands, including wages on par with the State government employees.

Members and representatives of various trade unions including the AITUC, Anna Thozhir Sangam (ATC) affiliated to the main Opposition AIADMK, INTUC and CITU would jointly organise the agitation, according to Confederation President S Azhvarappan and ATC Secretary Sugumar.

They said the government had turned a blind eye to their demand of wage revision, which had expired in September 2004.

They said of the 27,600 fair prices shops in the state only 938 were run by the Government-owned Amutham and the balance were run by TUCS, Chinthamani and other societies coming under the Cooperative Societies Act.

''We are doing the same work as that of those working in Amutham, which comes under the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation, and they are being paid salary on par with Government employee'.

''But we come under Registrar of Cooperative Societies and we have been denied equal pay, despite increase in the workload with the introduction of special PDS scheme by the government'', Mr Azhvarappan said.

As a prelude to the September 29 agitation, the confederation staged a demonstration here today in front of the cooperative 'Chinthamani' stores in Annanagar.

UNI GV VV 1745