The State-level Joint Action Council of Textile Mill Workers’ Trade Unions has sought formation of a committee to determine minimum wages for textile mill workers.
In Tamil Nadu there is no minimum wages for textile mill workers. Three years ago, the minimum wages for apprentice workers at the mills was fixed as ₹283 a day. The apprentice workers now get about ₹330 a day and that too only in a few mills. In Kerala, the minimum wages that a worker who joins a textile mill gets ₹485 a day.
Hence, the JAC decided at a meeting here on Saturday to seek formation of a committee to finalise minimum wages for textile mill workers, said former MLA M. Arumugam.
Further, the wage issue for textile mill workers is pending for more than 15 years and after 2009, there is no hike in wages for the 3.5 lakh workers employed at the 1,792 mills, he said. The JAC appealed to the State Government to call the trade union leaders for talks and resolve this issue. Further, most of the mills have campus coolies or contract workers. The Government should abolish the contract worker system at the mills and should not permit the units to have accommodation facilities for the workers within the campus, he said.
It was also decided to form joint action committees in all districts for the mill workers.
