The 25th General Council meeting of the Tamil Nadu Medical and Sales Representatives' Association (TNMSRA), to be held in Salem on August 8, 9 and 10 will chalk out a long term strategy for the next phase of agitation to get the Sales Promotion Employees Act (SPEA) enforced in the whole of Tamil Nadu.

While briefing the program of the General Council meeting, the general secretary R Ramesh Sundar said the Tami Nadu Government has declared minimum wages for Medical Representatives for Rs.4500 per month. But most of the manufacturing companies are not giving the stipulated amount. If any worker demands the same, he will be under termination threat. So the government should take initiative to enforce the already declared minimum wages to the medical field workers.

"The SPEA came into force in 1976 and amended in 1987 with minimum wages of Rs.4500. Many state governments including Kerala, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have declared to implement the Act, but majority o f the companies do not follow it. Some of the companies are changing even the nomenclature of the field staff, while appointing fresh recruits, as 'Territory Business Manager', 'Field Manager', 'Sales Promotion Officer' instead of Medical Representative. With this change of designation, the companies are bluntly denying the rights as per the SPEA Law (Condition of Service Act 1976)," P M Murali, assistant secretary of the Association said.

The medical representatives said they are of the opinion that the drug prices of all medicines should be brought under DPCO. Today there are only 74 drugs come under the purview of DPCO whereas it was 374. Since there is no price control for most of the medicines, a single molecule produced by different companies is charged by different prices with big variation.

"We want the life saving drugs should be exempted from excise duty, and for other medicines the ED should be charged only 4 per cent on cost price," said H Sree Ram, working committee member of the national body, FMRAI.

He said the tablet Topiramate (10mg) used for psychiatric patients and produced by US multinational Johnson & Johnson is charged 10 rupees for one tablet, whereas the same molecule manufactured by Indian company is priced only one rupee.

Loperamide (2mg), used for anti- diarrhoea produced by multinational company costs Rs 4.50 per capsule, but the same medicine by an Indian monopoly is sold for fifty paise per tablet.

The general council will submit one memorandum to the union Government seeking legislation to bring all the public sector companies like IDPL, HAL, Smith-Stain Street under one control. Earlier the public sector used to manufacture and market the essential drugs at very low prices.

The inaugural function of the general council meeting will be held on August 8.The function will be inaugurated by T.K.Rangarajan, Member of Parliament and the Vice president of the CITU and presided over by Dr. G.Choodamani, former Mayor of Salem and the chairman of the Reception Committee.