5 days ago
251 firms booked in Labour Department surprise inspections on Independence Day in Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts
The Labour Department has booked 251 establishments in Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts for not declaring holiday for their workers on Independence Day.
In Coimbatore, surprise inspections led by Assistant Labour Commissioner (Enforcement) T. Subash Chandran found 181 violations in shops, industries, food outlets and transport undertakings. In Tiruppur, checks across 30 shops and commercial units and 47 food outlets revealed 70 violations, according to officials.
In total, 304 establishments were inspected across both districts, of which 251 were found to be in violation of the Tamil Nadu Industrial Establishments (National and Festival Holidays) Act, 1958. Employers face fines of ₹500 to ₹10,000, depending on the number of workers engaged. Follow-up inspections will be conducted in September to confirm whether workers received either double wages or a compensatory holiday.
The Act requires paid holidays on January 26, May 1, August 15 and October 2, along with five additional festival holidays approved by the Labour Department. If employees work on these days, employers must obtain written consent, inform inspectors in advance, and display the approval at the workplace.
Labour officials also used Gram Sabha meetings across both districts to create awareness on eliminating child and bonded labour. Local bodies were urged to insist on self-declarations from contractors in government tenders, ensuring that no child or bonded labour is employed.
