TIRUCHY: Taking fleecing Tasmac staff to task, the Mayiladuthurai police on Tuesday registered cases against a Tasmac supervisor and three assistants from three separate shops for collecting Rs 10 per bottle more than the maximum retail price.
This triggered a protest by the staff across the district, who claimed that they were made to pay for basic expenses, including shop rent, loading and unloading charges, collection and stocking of empty bottles, and bearing the cost of damaged bottles.
According to sources, Bharath (32) from Madhanam Vadapathi near Sirkazhi had a wordy quarrel with the staff at the Tasmac outlet in Sattanathapuram bypass when they demanded an additional Rs 10. Based on his complaint, Sirkazhi police booked Kamaraj, the outlet supervisor, and his assistant Babu, a temporary staff.
Similarly, based on the complaint by Sekar, Balaiyur police registered a case against Mathiyazhagan, staff at the outlet in Alangan (shop No 5762), and Ramesh, an assistant working at the shop outlet in Konerirajapuram (no 5742), based on a complaint by Arunkumar.
This sparked a protest by the TASMAC Employees’ Union, who shut down all the 43 outlets in the district and submitted a petition at the Collector’s office. According to them, the corporation should have held a departmental inquiry before the police registered cases against staff.
Even as the police action was cheered by the people, the employees claimed that apart from the monthly rent for the buildings, they were being asked to pay daily rents – as much as Rs 5,000 in some places – and also bear other expenses, which, they said, forced them to collect the extra amount from customers.
They also demanded at least four employees in shops that sell liquor worth Rs one lakh per day and police protection for all the shops.