Fair price shop workers go on strike

A section of employees of fair price shops, who are affiliated to the Tamil Nadu Fair Price Employees Union went on a three-day strike from Tuesday pressing for a charter of demands including resumption of provision of dearness allowance, implementation of increment for those who have completed 10 and 20 years in service and grant of 50 paise per family card for supply of Pongal packets to consumers. K. Balasubramanian, honorary president of the Union, said that there was support for the strike from 29 districts in the State and that many shops remained closed. The Union members also demanded payment of salaries via bank transfers. Official sources in the Civil Supplies Department said that the government had directed supervisory staff to ensure that shops remained opened and consumers were not affected in any manner.