Babu A., 55, of Komalapuram in Alappuzha, is a proven coirmat-maker. A coir worker for the past 40 years, Babu is, however, disenchanted now, thanks to low wages and days without work.
“In the coir sector there is no regular job or income for employees. As I don’t know any other job, I am forced to stick to the sector to make a living. In recent years, I have shifted units several times due to lack of work. Compared to other sectors, coir workers get minuscule salary -- that too irregularly,” says Babu, an employee of a small-scale fibre mat production unit at Aspinwall Junction.
Mini Raju, 44, used to run a small coir spinning and coir products manufacturing unit at Thanneermukkom. A year ago she closed the unit after it became unsustainable due to lack of takers for the products. She joined a coir cooperative society as an employee.
“I will get ₹254 after working so hard from morning to evening. There is no future in the coir sector and many of the traditional workers like me will have to look for new pastures sooner than later,” she says.
Tall claims
Despite tall claims by the State government, allocating funds, mechanisation and projects to revolutionise the coir industry, employees and industry people say the sector which employs around two lakh people, majority of them women, across the State is crisis-ridden and on the brink. “We are dependent on Tamil Nadu for raw materials such as husk and coconut fibre. Adding to this, several coir-based manufacturing units are now procuring coir yarn directly from Tamil Nadu, where the industry has flourished. This has adversely affected the functioning of coir spinning units, which employ a large number of traditional workers. In the case of coir-based products, the government has failed to find a market for the products of small-scale producers,” said P.V. Sathyanesan, general secretary, Kerala State Coir Thozhilali Federation (AITUC).
Although, minimum wage was increased from ₹300 to ₹350 earlier this year, the majority of the primary coir cooperative societies in the State has been unable to pay the increased amount. “The Left Democratic Front (LDF) government has come to power promising to revitalise the coir industry and better days for employees. But it has failed to turn things around. Coirfed and the Coir Corporation are making hardly any effective interventions to strengthen the sector. The salary has been increased but the price of the product remains the same. The government’s move to introduce mechanisation in the primary sector without ensuring job and wages will only aggravate the situation,” Mr. Sathyanesan said.
Coconut fibre
Meanwhile, Minister for Finance and Coir T.M. Thomas Isaac told The Hindu that the State would become self-sufficient in coconut fibre production by the end of next fiscal.
“The State government wants to provide employment to spinners. We are doing everything to help the coir sector. By next year, we expect the coir yarn production in the State to jump by 8-10 times,” Dr. Isaac said.
