Tamil Nadu has decided not to withdraw disciplinary action against TASMAC employees who took part in protests that disrupted liquor-shop operations on November 1 and 2, according to a report by Dinamalar. The decision means the suspension of 245 employees will continue, while notices issued to another 1,731 workers will remain in force.
The dispute centres on a new charge linked to the return of empty liquor bottles. From November 1, customers were required to pay an additional ₹10 when purchasing a bottle, with the amount intended to be returned when the empty bottle was handed back. The ₹10 was collected along with the maximum retail price, or MRP, of the liquor bottle.
Employees opposed the arrangement, particularly the responsibility for collecting empty bottles. Workers at several TASMAC outlets did not open their shops on November 1 and 2 and instead joined a sudden protest. The stoppage affected liquor sales at the locations involved and led to disciplinary action by the organisation.
Employee unions and other representatives subsequently asked TASMAC management to drop the action against the workers. The government has rejected those requests, the report said. The reported decision covers both employees who were suspended and those who received show-cause notices.
An unnamed TASMAC official was quoted as saying that several employee welfare measures, including pay increases and uniforms, had been implemented after accepting workers’ demands. The official said the government was dissatisfied with the sudden protest and had instructed that the action against the suspended and noticed employees should continue.
The dispute places the operational responsibility for empty-bottle collection at the centre of the policy’s implementation. While the reported government decision settles the immediate question of disciplinary action, the supplied report does not specify how the bottle-return process will be administered at individual outlets, how disputes over the ₹10 deposit will be handled, or whether further talks with employee representatives are planned.
