The Labour Department will hold talks with striking workers, and unit owners at Anupparpalayam stainless steel, copper, and brass cluster on June 5 on wage revision.
Earlier, the talk was scheduled for June 9.
The owners of production units at the 300-year-old cluster have clarified that wages cannot be revised as demanded by trade unions.
“We are of the view that workers should be given a reasonable increase in wages. But the amount should be decided considering the crisis faced by the stainless steel, copper, and brass vessel makers due to shrinkage in market demands,” said B. Manohar, a representative of the Utensils Owners Association.
Last time, wages of copper and brass vessels workers were increased by 33.5 % and that of stainless steel by 25 %. The trade unions want to retain the same rate of increase this time too.
Mr. Manohar said that if wages of stainless steel vessel workers were to be increased by 25%, the labour charge to convert 1 kg of stainless steel sheet into vessels will go up by 40 %.
To this one has to add other charges too.
This would adversely affect the sector which was already competing with fibre glass products. The monopoly of the Anupparpalayam cluster too has diminished with the emergence of more clusters elsewhere, he added.
