Tension prevailed in Munnar after hundreds of workers of the Kanan Devan Hills Plantations Company Limited (KDHP) on Monday gheraoed its managing director and media representatives at the panchayat community hall following the failure of talks held as follow-up to an agitation on Sunday.
The immediate provocation for the agitation was the slashing of Onam bonus to 10 per cent from the previous year’s amount of 15 per cent. The agitation was held without the support of the three major trade unions — AITUC, CITU and INTUC.
The workers came together and attacked the office of trade unions alleging that they were in connivance with the management and failed to protect the interests of the workers. They also staged a dharna on the national highway and in front of the office of KHDP in Munnar till 6 p.m. on Sunday. Finally, the workers dispersed after a promise was given by the Deputy Collector that the issue would be resolved on Monday and a meeting between the management and the agitators was called for.
Though it was informed that talks would be held in Kochi under the initiative of the Labour Commissioner, the workers demanded an immediate decision regarding the bonus issue. Their other demands included increase in wages from Rs. 231 to Rs. 500, basic facilities at workers’ quarters in addition to access to hospitals and schools.
A top police official said the siege continued in the evening though the tension had eased down. The workers destroyed office equipment and threw stones at the office of the INTUC. They also chased away members of a political party who were holding a meeting. The traffic on the Kochi-Dhanushkodi National Highway was blocked and the tourism town of Munnar wore a deserted look with shops and business establishments remaining closed, said the official.
Meanwhile the estate management claimed that the tea industry was going through a severe crisis and it was the fall in profits of the company from the previous years that had forced them to reduce the bonus. The company incurred a fall in its income by 68 per cent in 2014-15 compared to the previous year. The company in a press release said the decision was taken after consulting the leaders of the main trade unions.
