Members of the Tasmac All Trade Unions in the district on Monday (May 25, 2026) alleged that the government and senior officials were issuing directions without addressing the grievances of employees.

Speaking to reporters after submitting a petition to the district administration here, union members said the new government and the Minister had issued several instructions regarding the functioning of Tasmac shops. However, during a recent meeting, the Collector had only reiterated the guidelines to be followed instead of discussing the welfare concerns raised by employees.

The members said staff had been instructed to close liquor shops by 10 p.m. and warned that employees would face suspension if shops were found functioning beyond the stipulated time. However, they pointed out that it takes at least three hours after closure to complete End-to-End (E2E) accounting procedures and that shops cannot be shut while customers are still inside. They also cited difficulties in operating computer systems due to frequent network issues. “The order will directly affect us,” the members said.

The unions further stated that employees were willing to sell liquor bottles strictly at the maximum retail price (MRP), but alleged that the government had failed to address staff welfare issues, including salary revision. They said employees were bearing monthly expenses of nearly ₹10,000 towards rent and electricity charges.

The members also claimed that the empty liquor bottle buy-back scheme had increased workload and posed safety concerns, as no additional staff had been appointed for the scheme. They urged the Minister to study the functioning of liquor shops and staff welfare measures in Kerala and implement similar practices in Tamil Nadu. The unions warned that if their demands were not fulfilled, they would stage a waiting protest in front of the district manager’s office on Tuesday (May 26, 2026).