Labourers employed in thread processing (warping and sizing of thread required by the power looms) have threatened to go on an indefinite strike from June 3, if owners of the units refuse to increase their wages by 50 per cent from their current wages.
District president of the Communist Party of India (CPI), S. Manivel, told The Hindu on Tuesday that the labourers are employed in these units in five categories.
“The daily wage is as low as Rs. 140 for the lowest category of labourers, while the highest pay is Rs. 188,” he said. He said that they had earlier demanded a 100 per cent wage hike but brought it down to 50 per cent.
District president of the Namakkal District Warping and Sizing Workers Association K.P. Ramalingam said that the wage was fixed for the thousands of labourers employed in the 84 warping and sizing units in Tiruchengode area every three years.
“Last time, the wage was fixed in March 2010 after we went on an indefinite strike,” he said.
“Time has crossed for fixing the new wages. So far, owners of the units and representatives of the labourers have conducted four rounds of talks, but we have not arrived at a solution. This is because the owners are ready to increase our salary by a mere 25 per cent,” he added.
They also urged the State Government and the district administration to intervene and help them get a proper wage agreement for the next three years.
They also made an appeal to the Government to help them get the various benefits that have been listed out by the Government.
On Monday, about 100 labourers of these units staged a demonstration near the Anna Statue in Tiruchengode seeking fulfilment of the demands. District general secretary of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), P. Dhanasekaran, also spoke during the demonstration.
It is learnt that the Labour Department has organised for a tripartite meeting on June 3.
“The department already organised a meeting on May 21 after we gave the strike notice. But the representatives of the factory owners did not take part. The strike will be inevitable if our demands are not met in the next meeting,” the labourers reiterated.
