CHENNAI, November 4 (Aalimi Nation) – Liquor shops run by the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (TASMAC) were reported to be open again after a flash strike by sales staff, but the dispute over a revised empty-bottle return scheme remains unresolved, with 245 supervisors suspended and more than 1,700 employees served notices.
TASMAC strike: what led to it
Under the revised scheme, a Rs 10 environment and social welfare cess is now included in the maximum retail price of every bottle of liquor, including Indian-made foreign liquor, beer and wine. Earlier, the Rs 10 was collected separately at the counter, which officials and workers said caused friction and complaints of overcharging. Customers can get the amount back by returning empty bottles at any TASMAC outlet, subject to verification. Staff must scan bottles at the time of sale and again at return, and digital payment is now mandatory for purchases above Rs 1,000.
Employees began closing shops after the changes were announced. According to the state government, more than 650 outlets were affected on Sunday and Monday, in districts including Chennai, Tiruvallur, Madurai, Erode, Karur, Vellore, Kanyakumari and Krishnagiri. Accounts differ on how long the closures lasted, with some reports describing a three-day shutdown. Long queues formed at the outlets that stayed open, and rumours of further closures prompted panic buying ahead of Deepavali.
Suspensions and reopening
TASMAC said it suspended 245 retail shop supervisors and issued show-cause notices to 1,729 employees for closing outlets without authorisation. A district-wise statement dated November 2 put the notices at 931 on Sunday and 798 on Monday. Chennai region accounted for 169 of the suspensions.
The government said that by Tuesday, 3,991 of 4,051 listed outlets, or 98.52 per cent, were operating. It said the remaining 60 were shut on the orders of district Collectors over local issues and would not reopen.
Prohibition and Excise Minister K. Vignesh warned that the government would not tolerate disruption of services and that action would continue against those keeping shops closed. He argued that the earlier practice of separate collections lacked accountability, and said reverse vending machines would be installed at all 4,048 outlets, with the tender process expected to move quickly.
Workers' demands
Unions say the scheme was rolled out without adequate preparation. They cite scanner and software glitches, short notice to update price stickers, limited staff and too little space to store returned bottles, and say the work of selling and collecting bottles has sharply increased the load on staff.
Dhanasekar, general secretary of the Tamil Nadu TASMAC Employees Union, met TASMAC Managing Director T. Christuraj on Tuesday. He said scanning devices must be supplied, that bottle collection should be outsourced or handled by automated machines, and that more retail staff should be recruited. The union has asked for the suspensions to be revoked.
TASMAC officials said the union agreed to keep stores open while asking for the suspensions to be withdrawn. Another report quoted employee unions as saying their agitation would continue until their grievances were addressed. The government has not announced a decision on the suspensions.
