After about 15 years, 116 retired workers of various tea estates in Valparai in the district received their gratuity today.
Cheques for Rs 54.36 lakh were handed over by Municipal Administration Minister S P Velumani to the workers, who were either retired or taken voluntary retirement.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister said considering the workers' plight, talks were held with the estate managements on the issue of gratuity.
In the first phase, 116 workers were given the cheques.
With 61 registered and six unregistered tea estates, a total of 15,768 people had been working there, Velumani said.
To uplift their social status, late chief minister Jayalalithaa had revised the wages twice during 2013-16 and 2016-18 and the workers were getting Rs 309 as minimum wages, he said.
AIADMK MLAs and MPs, along with district officials, were present on the occasion.
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