THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Following a meeting, the Plantation Labour Committee (PLC) on Wednesday arrived at an agreement on the issue of worker wages with owners and trade unions agreeing on Rs 301 as minimum wages for tea plantation workers.
As per the agreement, the wages have been raised from existing Rs 232 to Rs 301, an increase of Rs 69. The trade unions had demanded Rs 500 as minimum wages.
However, with plantation managements sticking to their demand of increased output, the meeting decided to increase the daily plucking of leaves from 21 kg to 25 kg.
The minimum wages for rubber has been raised to Rs 381 from Rs 317, cardamom Rs 330 from Rs 267 and coffee Rs 301.
The joint trade union action committee which had launched an indefinite strike in the plantation sector since September 28, has called of its agitation following the agreement at the PLC meeting. It also called off the chain hunger strike in Munnar.
The women workers outfit in Munnar Pomplai Oruma said that they would take a decision on withdrawing their strike on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the government decided to convene a meeting of PLC after civic polls to discuss the output and other issues.
A one-member committee will also be constituted to examine the issues plaguing the the plantation sector.
