Hairdressers seek permission to resume business

Trichy: Hundreds of hairdressers in Trichy on Monday sought the Tamil Nadu government’s permission to resume their work for at least five hours daily.

With no relaxation provided to resume their business in urban areas, hairdressers from various parts of Trichy city had thronged the district collectorate following social distancing norms to submit a petition

“We welcome the announcement from the state government that allows functioning of salons in rural areas but a majority of us work in towns and cities. We request the state government to let us open our shops for at least five hours a day,” said T Thiruvaikumaran, a barber.

Hairdressers said they would adhere to social distancing norms and wear personal protection gear to avoid the contracting coronavirus.

They also demanded that the state government pay them Rs 15,000 as compensation for the losses they suffered during the lockdown. The hairdressers pleaded that they can operate between 7 am and 12 pm every day to earn income after 50 days.

Though the state government recently announced Rs 2,000 as financial assistance, hairdressers claimed that the process is tedious to avail the sum.