In what would become a huge relief for the employees in Tamil Nadu who are attached to the shops, the MK Stalin-led state government has finally brought the dreadful working culture to an end by passing a bill that mandates the shops to provide seating for all the employees. The state has hundreds and thousands of employees who win bread by standing the whole day at their respective places of shops and establishments like big textile shops and jewellery showrooms.

The appalling working culture had distressed such employees and they however embraced it to make survival. The Tamil Nadu government has now tabled a bill to put that culture into history and pouring a comforting workplace for the employees. On Monday, the government has tabled the bill in the assembly to amend the Tamil Nadu Shops and Establishments Act 1947 and to invoke a section that would propose a mandatory order for the shops to provide seating for the employees. 

The bill read, "The premises of every establishment shall have suitable seating arrangements for all employees so that they may take advantage of any opportunity to sit which may occur in the course of their work and thereby avoid 'on their toes' situation throughout the working hours." Tabling the bill, Tamil Nadu Minister for Labour Welfare and Skill Development V Ganesan has said that employees who are working in shops and establishments are made to stand throughout their working hours, which result in various health issues. 

The minister said that considering the plight of the employees who are standing during their complete work time, it has become necessary to provide seating facilities to all the employees of shops and establishments. He further said that the amendment of mandatory seating facilities was placed and discussed before the State Labour Advisory Board meeting that was held on Saturday -September 4 and the board members of the advisory board had unanimously approved the amendment, post which it was tabled in the assembly. 

As soon as the bill was tabled and passed in the assembly, it has attracted major reception as several political leaders, activists, and the general public had commended the government for bringing such a significant law of supporting the health and well-being of such employees in the state. If we take Chennai alone, we can see thousands of employees of big textile shops and establishments standing at their counters even at non-peak hours. Now, their plight has been addressed. 

While Tamil Nadu has passed a paramount bill, it has brought cheers to the employees as their 'right to sit' has finally been awarded. The reports say that the bill will be moved to Governor Banwarilal Purohit for his consent after which it will be signed into Act. It must be noted that in 2018, the workers of textile showrooms in Kerala had staged protests with the demand of 'right to sit'. The workers, particularly women, had also complained that their workplace did not have restrooms. 

Following the protests, the Kerala government had made an amendment to the Kerala Shops and Establishments Act in 2018 to provide seating arrangements for them. Tamil director Vasantha Balan, whose movie 'Angadi Theru' had pictured the plight of workers working in such establishments and such workplaces, had welcomed the bill and in a social media post, he wrote, "I thank the Tamil Nadu government. The dreams of my movie Angadi Theru is getting fulfilled slowly."