Trade unions stand firm on their demand to increase wages to Rs 500
Munnar Pomplai Oruma leaders Gomathy, Jayalakshmi, Lissy Sunny and Rajeshwary accompanied by KPCC general secretary Lathika Subhash coming out of Cliff House in Thiruvananthapuram after holding talks with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Monday. (
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The talks between the government, planters and TUs to resolve the wage issue in tea estates failed to reach a consensus at the Plantation Labour Committee meeting here on Monday.
The trade unions reiterated their demand for increasing the daily wages to '500, while the plantation owners said the hike was beyond their capacity.
Earlier, Power Minister Aryadan Mohammad and Labour Minister Shibu Baby John held discussions with the representatives of TUs and plantation owners. However, the meeting remained inconclusive.
Later in the evening, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy too joined the discussions. “Both the parties presented their views before the chief minister. The next meeting of PLC will be held on Wednesday and we are hopeful of solving the issue at the earliest,” Mr Shibu Baby John told reporters after the meeting.
The PLC meeting will be held after the cabinet meeting on Wednesday which will also discuss the report on the demand of tax relaxation by the plantation owners.
A section of plantation owners reiterated that the wage hike be linked to output from plucking 21 kg leaves to 31 kg leaves per day. However, the trade unions have rejected any increase in the working hours of workers.
While the trade unions have decided to intensify the strike, sources said a section of leaders was keen on resolving the issue at the earliest especially in view of the local bodies poll.
Both the trade unions and plantation owners might come to an understanding by climbing down from their present positions.
Meanwhile, Pomplai Oruma – the women workers of Munnar-- met Mr Chandy and sought his intervention in resolving the wage issue.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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