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Midday meal workers in Tamil Nadu have temporarily withdrawn their protest after an assurance from the government in the Assembly on Tuesday, January 20, about considering their demands for an increase in pay.
The Tamil Nadu Nutritious Meal Employees Association (TNNMEA) also opened midday meal centres from January 21 after Speaker M Appavu said the government was considering implementing the time scale of pay.
The workers who had announced an indefinite strike earlier had also closed down the midday meal centres. More than 70 workers were detained after they attempted to block the entrance of the Chennai District Collector’s office on Tuesday, January 20, demanding that the administration fulfil their demands.
In addition to the time scale of pay, the workers were also demanding an increase in pension to Rs 7,500 a month and a gratuity of Rs 5 lakh for workers in organiser posts and Rs 3 lakh for cooks and helpers.
Shanthi, who works as a midday meal cook in Chennai, said she was being paid Rs 15,500 after 20 years of service. “I have two children. How can this meagre salary be enough for my family? Even if my salary had been increased by Rs 1,000 annually, it would have exceeded Rs 20,000 by now. The government should consider the welfare of its employees and fulfil our demands immediately,” she said.
Currently, the workers receive a pension of Rs 2,000 a month, and gratuity is fixed at Rs 1 lakh.
The base salary for a worker hired to an organiser post is Rs 7,500 and the base is Rs 4,100 and Rs 3,500 for cooks and helpers, respectively.
Salary reforms for midday meal or noon meal workers were part of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) election manifesto, and the workers demanded that the government deliver on these promises.
“For the past 43 years, Tamil Nadu has excelled in the noon meal scheme, earning the admiration of the entire nation. The main reason for this are the workers,” said Selladurai, president of the Workers' Association.
“According to the DMK's election promise number 313 in 2021, all three categories of workers – organisers, cooks, and assistants – would receive salaries based on time scale, pension coverage for family members, and a gratuity of Rs. 5 lakh for organisers and Rs. 3 lakh for cooking assistants. However, in the last four and a half years, the government has not fulfilled these demands. That is why we have launched this indefinite strike," Selladurai said.