Approximately 20 job seekers have been using the special centres (lounges) for construction site and gig workers established on behalf of the Construction Workers’ Welfare Board in Tiruchi daily since their inauguration in March.
The two lounges, one located in front of the Special Police Battalion Gate No. 1 near the railway station, and the other in Ponnagar area, were inaugurated on March 4 through video conference by the then Chief Minister M.K. Stalin.
They were launched as a part of an initiative to establish 50 lounges at a cost of ₹20.25 crore across several cities in the State in places where construction workers gather in large numbers every morning to look for work.
The glass-fronted cabins are furnished with cushioned seating, electrical fans, and drinking water, among other facilities.
According to a senior official of the Labour Department, the centres are kept open from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. and are being used by those who assemble near the Mannarpuram and Karumandapam flyovers every day in search of work.
“Usually most job seekers in these areas are able to get assignments by mid-morning, so we have decided to keep the premises locked when they are not in use,” the official told The Hindu. However,activists have criticised the short duration for which the centres are kept open.
On Friday, several job seekers could be seen sitting outside the locked lounges with their lunch baskets, trying to grab a meal before returning to their positions under the Aristo flyover.
“What is the point of locking up the special centres by 10 a.m., when some workers may not land a job within that time? It would be more practical for the authorities to have built more centrally located and shaded open-plan seating areas for the workers where they will be easily visible to potential employers,” said S. Rangarajan, district secretary, Centre of Indian Trade Unions.
At least 6,000 men and women flock Tiruchi looking for work on construction sites every day from nearby villages. They congregate in places such as the Chathiram Bus Stand, Tiruvanaikovil and Gandhi Market in search of potential employers.