In support of a ten-point charter of demands, including the regularisation of jobs and pension, the Tamil Nadu Government Nutritious Meal Employees` Union may take out a rally in the month of March 2008. The union has appealed to the government to regularise 1.86 lakh workers in the noon-meal centres and anganwadis in the state.

According to the union sources, the noon-meal scheme and the Integrated Child Development Scheme have been in effect from 1982-83. The noon-meal or the mid-day meal scheme had around 40,000 organisers and a similar number of cooks and helpers.

In a written memorandum submitted to the government, the union representatives requested that these workers be regularised with a basic pay of Rs 6,500 a month, besides posting those with requisite qualifications in other departments. The minimum qualification for noon-meal workers was SSLC. However, the union authorities informed the government that a majority of them were graduates and post graduates, and skilled in the use of  computers.

According to the union officials, although these workers were considered as part-time workers, work started early in the morning and went on up to 3 p.m. The work included cleaning up the centres, buying vegetables and firewood, cooking food and serving it. Additionally they were responsible for supplying eggs thrice a week and giving potato and pulses for two days.

The memorandum further pointed out thattime-bound promotions, though common in government departments and local bodies, were not given when it came to the noon-meal workers.