TIRUPPUR: The district administration is taking efforts to resolve the differences of opinion among different sections of job-working weavers in the powerloom sector regarding wage hike.
Around 2.5 lakh powerlooms are operating in Tiruppur and Coimbatore districts. They employ 4 lakh workers and produce 1.25 crore metres of woven fabric everyday.
Since 1991, wages have been revised once in three years through negotiations between textile manufacturers and weavers in the presence of district collectors of Coimbatore and Tiruppur. During the talks in February 2022, 15% hike was agreed upon. But a few months later, textile manufacturers allegedly stopped the wage increase.
While the Tiruppur and Coimbatore Powerloom Weavers Association, which claims to have 1 lakh members, insists that the 2022 agreement should be implemented now, the Coimbatore and Tiruppur District Job-Working Powerloom Weavers Association, which claims to have 1.5 lakh members, has demanded that new wage hike be announced.
The association, which has been staging various protests, has announced an indefinite strike from March 19 to press for the demand.
S E Boopathy, treasurer of the association, said, “A hike of 20 -23% was decided in 2021 and it was reduced to 15% in 2022. But the revised hike was given for only three months. That’s why we are now demanding a new wage hike. Because power tariff, building rent, powerloom spare parts prices, and workers’ wages have all risen by several folds in the last three years.”
Meanwhile, the Tiruppur district administration is taking efforts to resolve the differences of opinion regarding wage hikes among powerloom weavers.
Speaking to TNIE, S Prema, Assistant Commissioner of Labour Department, said, “A section of powerloom weavers wants the wage hike decided in 2022. Another side is demanding a new hike. We are trying to create a consensus among them. The collector has also instructed the same to the powerloom weavers. If there are two opinions, the negotiations cannot be taken to the next level.
She added that weavers were consulted on this matter on Tuesday. “Soon we are going to call textile manufacturers and discuss this. We have advised the powerloom weavers to call off their protest,” the Assistant Commissioner added.