A meeting between members of trade unions and Forest Minister M.S.M. Anandan here on Saturday over wage revision for workers of the Arasu Rubber Corporation in Kanyakumari district ended on a positive note.
According to the union members, the Minister and Corporation officials agreed to hike the daily wages from Rs. 212 to Rs. 292. The meeting, held at the district forest office, was attended by 30 representatives of different unions.
“The hike may not be adequate, but the Minister has promised to settle all disputes within three months,” said S. Sugumaran Mani, general secretary, Tholilalar Munnetra Sangam.
Interim reliefM. Valsakumar, general secretary, Kanyakumari District Estate Workers Union, affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), said the settlement was only an interim relief. “Besides the wage hike, the Dearness Allowance has been increased from 15 paise per point to 18 paise from December 1, 2013,” he said.
C. Ananthakrishnan, State secretary, INTUC, said the DA had been increased after more than three decades.
