THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Indian Coffee House is eyeing a revival with a new political brew!
Initiated by Communist stalwart A K Gopalan, popularly known as AKG, the chain is seeking a resurgence under the new UDF government after more than a decade of struggle under previous Left governments. The Indian Coffee Board Workers’ Co-operative Society, which runs outlets from Thrissur to Thiruvananthapuram, has begun recruiting employees and plans to expand its outlets. The last recruitment was carried out in 2015.
The society, governed by the independent workers’ platform, Sahakarana Vedhi, has now invited applications for 600 vacancies. Despite the unemployment situation in the state, only 480 candidates applied, of whom 308 attended interviews at the society’s headquarters in Thrissur.
“Even if you dress up like a king, complete with a crown and royal finery, you do not get to see political pressure securing jobs here for relatives or associates of powerful people,” society president S S Anil Kumar told TNIE. The reason, he said, lies in the nature of the job.
The minimum qualification is Class X, but passing the examination is not mandatory. “We only ensure that recruits can read and write Malayalam so that they can later be posted as cashiers,” he said.
Every recruit starts as a general worker, wiping tables, washing dishes and cleaning the premises. “Even those who become general managers work their way up,” Anil said. During six months of probation and a year of training, recruits are trained in everything from cooking to making coffee.
Permanent employees are entitled to provident fund, ESI and gratuity. They can have the chain’s popular masala dosa or puri for breakfast for just Rs 5, lunch for Rs 8 and dinner for Rs 7.
The first Indian Coffee House was opened in Thrissur on March 8, 1958 by AKG. The chain grew to 58 outlets and 2,400 employees by 2017. It now has just 45 outlets. Two cooperative societies run outlets in Keralam. Besides Indian Coffee Board Workers’ Co-operative Society, Indian Coffee Workers’ Co-operative Society, governed by a CPM-backed union, covers Malabar region — from Kasaragod to Palakkad.
Society aims to increase no. of outlets
AKG had urged workers to remain united irrespective of their political affiliations. But the formation of the CITU-affiliated Sahakarana Janadhipathya Munnani turned control of the societies into a political battle, with rival parties forming unions.
The CPM-backed union controlled the southern society from 1998 to 2004 before Sahakarana Vedhi began winning successive elections.
“In 2017, after the first Pinarayi Vijayan government came to power, the elected body was dissolved,” Anil said. Though the High Court quashed the government action, the society continued to face difficulties. “For the past decade, the industries department, under which the society is registered, adopted a hostile stance towards us,” he alleged.
The Covid pandemic dealt another blow, forcing coffee houses to shut for seven months. Some outlets closed and salaries were cut to keep the chain afloat. The society also had to rely on retired employees to manage staff shortage.
“Even after the pandemic, the government and the industries department did not allow us to invite applications. We met the-then minister, but received no help,” Anil said.
The change of government has now raised hopes with the industries department sanctioning recruitment of trainees.
The society aims to take the number of outlets back above 50, opening four in Thiruvananthapuram, including one at Shanghumukham, two in Alappuzha and two in Thrissur, including one at Kerala Kalamandalam.
“Chief Minister V D Satheesan and Industries Minister P K Kunhalikutty have assured us of all help,” Anil said.
