MADURAI: May Day is international workers’ day. A day for the celebration of the cause of workers class, for their rights, jobs, wages, dignity, social and economic security and a moment to fight against exploitation.
But this year’s May Day -1st May 2020- has left the working class in shatters because of Coronavirus. There is on onslaught against their livelihood are facing mayhem this May Day. An example to tell their plight is the lockdown effect on small daily wage ‘ever silver’ workers of small stainless steel units at Anuppanadi area in Madurai.
The ever silver workers expressed their agony and suffering for the past 40 days since there is no work or wages now.
“Nearly 5,000 families are in doldrums today. Children and women at homes are suffering. It is a struggle to protect our families,” Ponraj, a worker in ever silver vessel making unit in Madurai has said on 30th April 2020. The workers are more concerned because their lives are not going to be normal even of the lockdown is lifted or eased.
“People will not immediately come to buy ever silver stainless vessels. It is not an urgent thing for them. So we will face more problems for several more months. We appeal to the Tamil Nadu government to give us relief assistance given to those in unorganized sector. We earn only Rs.300 per day and that is also not there now,” laments Ponraj.
