: The cashew sector came to a virtual standstill on Monday following the three-day strike declared by the employers in protest against the “unbearable” 35 per cent wage hike notified by the State government. The token strike is for three days.
In a statement, A. Abdul Salam, president of Cashew Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said the wage hike had pushed the cashew sector into a crisis. More than 90 per cent of the cashew factories remained closed in response to the strike call. This is the first employer-declared strike in the cashew sector.
The newly declared wage hike came into effect on Monday.
Mr. Salam said the hike was imposed without adhering to norms. Due to the wage hike, raw cashew processing charges in Kerala have become extremely high. This makes kernels produced in Kerala highly uncompetitive in the international and domestic markets.
The Chief Minister, Labour Minister and Industries Minister will hold talks with representatives of the association on Wednesday to find a solution to the issue.
