TASMAC employees oppose order to buy back used liquor bottles

Members of the TASMAC Employees Federation staged a protest in Krishnagiri objecting to the State-owned liquor Corporation’s new rule of buyback of the used liquor bottles from customers and the onus of the same falling on the TASMAC workers.

The protesters staged a demonstration condemning the order that is purportedly conceived to reduce waste. According to the federation, the order, taking from the Madras High Court’s limited directions on the plan to remove plastic waste, got extended to liquor bottles.

The federation said it has been made mandatory for the workers to collect unhygienic used liquor bottles and account for them. To force the staff to collect those bottles and also keep record of the inventory will be added work to the over-worked staff, it said.

The cost of the liquor included the cost of the bottle and it belonged to the consumer. The new order mandates the staff to collect the bottle and return ₹10 to the consumer. However, according to the federation, in outlets attached to the bars, the bars have a system of collecting the bottles. Instead of finding alternative ways of recycling the used bottles, the TASMAC staff are saddled with additional work.

Further, outlets are already cramped with barely any space to operate with the liquor stock and to cramp up the space with used bottles would lead to hygiene concerns, according to the federation. Further, the revenue from collection is kept by TASMAC with no reward to the collecting staff, it was further stated.