Trichy: Labourers who lost their jobs after relocation of the onion market to Palpannai hoisted black flags outside their houses here on Thursday. They have also planned to conduct a ‘Kanji Thotti’ protest in front of the collectorate on Friday if their demands are not met.The labourers alleged that since a favourable solution could not be arrived even after several peace talks and protests, they held a meeting, in which CITU and LPF members participated, on Wednesday to discuss their next move.The decision to hoist black flags outside houses, shops and markets was taken at the meeting.Black flags were hoisted in areas including Nallur, Jeeva Nagar, Bharathi Nagar and Kamarajar Nagar.“Around 220 of us have lost our jobs. We are now not even being allowed into the new onion market. Our demand is simple: we want the same job which we had been doing at the old market. We will protest until then,” LPF’s general secretary Ramalingam told TOI.The new wholesale onion market, constructed by the Trichy Onion Commission Mandi Traders’ Association of Gandhi Market, was inaugurated in the first week of June near Ariyamangalam.Following this, more than 250 load men, who were working at the existing Gandhi Market, had gone and requested the traders job at the new market. But the traders had allegedly appointed new set of labourers for minimal wages.As a result, the labourers – including those who were attached to various trade unions – have been staging several demonstrations. On July 4, 117 load men who resorted to road blockade were arrested by the police.

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