COIMBATORE: BJP state president K Annamalai has urged the state government to address the demands of powerloom job working unit weavers in Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts who are on a strike for around a fortnight.
In a press release, Annamalai said approximately 7 lakh people are employed directly and indirectly in the powerloom sector in Coimbatore and Tiruppur.
Every three years, textile manufacturers, weavers, and district administrations engage in negotiations to revise wages.
However, 2.5 lakh powerloom job working weavers said their wages have not been revised for several years. Annamalai said the 15% wage hike, agreed upon in February 2022, has not yet been implemented.
He highlighted that the powerloom industry has been significantly impacted by various factors, including rising electricity tariffs, increased rent, higher costs for spare parts, and shortage of workers.
“Over the last 15 months, despite 10 rounds of negotiations for a wage hike, no amicable solution has been reached. Nearly 1.25 lakh powerloom workers in Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts have been on continuous strike, leading to a production loss of around Rs 390 crore in the last 13 days. This situation has severely affected the livelihood of workers who depend on the powerloom industry. With about 50,000 powerlooms already shut down, the ongoing delay in wage hike is forcing further production losses,” he stressed.
Annamalai urged the state government to arrange talks between powerloom job working owners and the larger textile manufacturers without delay in order to meet their demands, end the strike, and restore their livelihood.