Condemning the reduction in unloading charges, lorry owners went on a strike at the railway station in Namakkal in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, 18 June 2025.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Opposing the contractors’ move to reduce loading and unloading charges for goods from trains, goods shed lorry owners went on a strike at the railway station in Namakkal on Wednesday (June 18, 2025).
Essential poultry feed materials such as maize, rice, wheat, and oilcakes are transported by goods trains from northern states to Namakkal. Additionally, ration supplies such as rice and wheat also arrive at the station. A few contractors are entrusted with the responsibility of unloading these items from the wagons, loading them onto lorries, and delivering them to poultry feed manufacturing units and government godowns.
Lorry owners are usually paid ₹140 per tonne, but the contractors recently reduced the rate by ₹10, prompting opposition from the owners.
On Wednesday, the lorry owners staged a protest by parking their vehicles at the railway goods shed and refusing to load or unload goods. Following this, the contractors held talks with the owners. While a few agreed to the revised rates and withdrew their protest, many others refused to handle the goods.
Published – June 18, 2025 08:51 pm IST