KOLLAM: Cashew workers under the banner of Kerala Cashew Workers Centre (CITU) will strike work on December 16. The workers would organise a march to the head post office at Chinnakkada and stage a dharna on the day^ Workers of Thiruvannathapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha districts will participate in the strike. The workers are demanding the Government set up a cashew board at Kollam and withdrawal of the move to cut the PF and pension benefits. CPM state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the march and dharna .
Kerala Cashew Workers Centre president J. Mercykuttyamma, general secretary E.Kazim and CITU district secretary K.Thulasidharan said when the workers raised protest against the decision to cut the PF and pension benefits, the Government had agreed to stop the move. However, no follow-up action has taken in this regard^ They said there were about 800 cashew factories in Kollam district. The Central Government had declared Kollam a centre of export excellence in view of the impressive performance on the cashew export front. As it was necessary to boost the production of raw cashew and value-added products, a Cashew Board with Kollam as its centre was necessary to promote cashew farming and cashew industry.
They pointed out that the State Government, trade unions in the cashew industry and cashew manufacturers and exporters had stressed the need for setting up a Cashew Board. But the difference between various Central ministries was impeding the setting up of the Board, they said
