“Tamil Nadu: Big Factories Becoming COVID-19 Super Spreaders in Lockdown”, 14 May 2021

Tamil Nadu is one of the 15 states where COVID-19 cases are on the rise…

In a bid to control the spread of the virus and reduce the burden on the health system, the state government imposed a two-week ‘complete lockdown’ beginning May 10.

Essential services … have been allowed to function... However, most private sector industries are functioning, claiming to fall under one of these categories.

Tiruppur, a major textile hub in West Tamil Nadu, engaging lakhs of workers … continues to operate under the full lockdown…

Six trade unions have, therefore, written to the CM asking for removal of the garment industry from essential services along with other welfare demands…

The letter read: “In each of these factories anywhere between 100 to 1,000 labourers work in close proximity. This means that the workers, their families and the society at large are in danger of contracting and spreading the disease.”

In Tiruppur, more than three lakh workers are eligible claimants of the Employees State Insurance (ESI), but there aren’t enough medical facilities in the district to claim the insurance. So, the unions have urged the state to intervene…

… As of now, the factories have decided to shut from May 14 to 24.