KOCHI:The Association of Planters of Kerala (APK) said that Munnar crisis is holding the entire plantation industry in the state to a hostage. The plantation industry in Kerala is on a stand still due to the strike called by the combined trade unions demanding Rs 500 as daily wages, said C Vinayaraghavan, Chairman, APK.
“ The tripartite negotiations were progressing well in the plantation labour committee since December 2014. However, the stray occurrence of a strike demanding higher bonus by a group outside the control of the Registered and Recognised trade unions has derailed the negotiations. Conceding to demands without any rationale will be a death knell to the century old plantation industry in Kerala. The tea plantations are currently at a loss of Rs 36/kg, rubber at Rs 43/kg and cardamom at Rs 100/kg. Hence we urge the government, trade Unions and workers not to come to any knee jerk decisions based on the Munnar episode. The decisions taken should ensure long term sustainability of the plantation industry, which is the socio-economic back-bone of rural Kerala,” Vinayaraghavan added.
He pointed out that Kerala has become the high cost producer of all plantation crops among other states in India and thus the products from Kerala has become uncompetitive in the domestic as well as the foreign markets. The suggestions of APK to resolve the present crisis include increasing standard output in tea by 10 kg in lean as well as flush season, , extend Rubber price support mechanism to larger plantations, abolishment of Agricultural income tax and plantation tax and bringing back land tax to 2010 levels.
