Lounges opened in Trichy to aid construction workers awaiting jobs

Trichy: The state govt has opened two lounges in Trichy city for construction workers seeking employment, who often take shelter under trees and in spaces beneath bridges. The lounges, equipped with ramps that are friendly for persons with disabilities (PwD), will remain open daily from 7am to 11am.The prefabricated container lounges are aimed at providing comfort to workers and facilitating their enrolment in welfare schemes.The lounges have been set up near the Ponnagar side of the Dindigul arm of the Trichy Junction road overbridge (RoB) and on the Chennai arm, opposite the Trichy DRM office complex. The all-weather shelters, each with a floor space of 350sqft, are fitted with fans, benches and drinking water facilities. Officials said that more than 1.2 lakh construction workers across the district are registered with the welfare board.Hundreds of daily wage workers from Manapparai, Vaiyampatti and Viralimalai reach Trichy city as early as 6am in search of work at construction sites. They usually take shelter under bridges, where contractors come to hire workers. "Sometimes, workers wait until 11am to get jobs as they arrive very early in the morning. So, the govt has provided lounges for them to rest. Fifty such facilities were sanctioned across the state, including two in Trichy," a labour department official said.Trade unions can also use the facility, which is fitted with notice boards, to sensitise and enrol unorganised construction workers in the welfare board so they can avail financial assistance and other welfare schemes.The labour department said the cabins would help streamline the hiring process and improve safety, as workers earlier stood on carriageways while waiting for work, exposing themselves to the risk of accidents.