CHENNAI: Leaders of a TASMAC trade union have expressed deep concern over the recent attacks on wine shop employees by customers following arguments over the non-availability of popular brands.In the last three months, seven TASMAC salesmen in city and surrounding districts had been attacked and three cases registered in Chromepet and Kancheepuram town police stations, a union leader said, adding that such unsavoury incidents had become a regular affair and often went unreported even to the union. He said that some liquor brands like No.1 Mc Dowell Brandy, VSOP Exshaw Deluxe Premium Brandy, Old Cask Rum and Kingfisher Beer were some of the top selling brands now in short supply. “Though we do have stocks of other brands, some customers are finicky about their favourite brands and pick up quarrels with the salesmen when told that their brands are out of stock,” a salesman told Express.He said that customers refused to accept the fact that there was a short supply of their favourite brands and accused them of selling the brands for a premium price in the black market, often leading to altercations. “We work with the constant fear of being attacked,” he said. As many as 30,000 men are employed in 6,700 TASMAC wine shops across the State. They all faced threats as the outlets were a rendezvous for rowdy elements, said P S Soundarapandian, State president of Tamil Nadu TASMAC Employees Union, affiliated to the AITUC. “When drunken men create ruckus inside bars, they are controlled by goons engaged by the owners. But, what will the poor TASMAC staff do when he faces a violent customer?, he asked.He urged the administration to sort out the issue by ensuring adequate supply of popular brands and the police to take swift action whenever there was a complant from a TASMAC staff. But, a senior TASMAC official dismissed the allegation and said that all the shops were adequately supplied with popular brands.
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