About 350 workers turned up for a meet of the movement held in Munnar on Sunday
Representational image
Kochi: The plantation sector which employs the second largest number of people in the state is heading for turbulent times with the workers refusing to dilute their demand for hiking the daily wage from Rs 232 to Rs 500, and the planters threatening to close them down should the demand be granted.
The scene has hotted up ahead of the plantation labour committee (PLC) meet, scheduled for September 26.
“We shall resume our strike if the PLC does not concede our demand for the hike,” said Lissy Sunny, a leader of the Pompilai Orumai (women’s unity) movement which spearheaded the nine-day strike last week.
“We shall think of launching our own trade union if the recognised trade unions are unable to get the PLC accept our demand,” she said.
About 350 workers turned up for a meet of the movement held in Munnar on Sunday. The meet also demanded that representatives of the movement, which is not affiliated to any of the recognised trade unions, be also allowed to attend the PLC meet though rules do not permit it.
The recognised trade unions in the plantation sector, which directly employs 3.5 lakh people, have also upped the ante.
Workers' representatives from Munnar who attended a meet of the Kerala Plantations Workers Federation affiliated to the All-India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) in Munnar on Sunday also said they will not go back on its demand for Rs 500 as daily wages.
“We have told the workers that a decision on our stand will be taken at a meet on September 23 but the workers said they will go on a strike on September 27 if their demand was not met,” said AITUC Idukki district president P Muthupandy.
The meet of the representatives of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) also raised a similar demand.
Sources in the plantation industry said even the better-off plantations could not consider the demand for such a steep hike.
“The demand is for a hike of more than 100 per cent, which is unheard of in any industry, especially when it is passing through difficult times,” the sources said.
“We will have to lock out the plantations even if we fix Rs 300 as the daily wage.”
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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