Salary package chalked out at a meeting in capital.
ALAPPUZHA: Putting an end to a months long stand-off between houseboat owners and employees over the salary package, the government has chalked out a new wage pact amicably. Both parties reached a consensus in a meeting called by Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran in Thiruvananthapuram the other day.
K. Vijayan, secretary, All-Kerala Houseboats Owners Associations, said that an employee in the new agreement will be able to get a salary of Rs 12,000, an increase of Rs 1,600 from the present Rs. 10,400. The daily allowance was increased to Rs. 290, from the present Rs. 250. The contract of the employees was also extended to a period of 30 months instead of 24.
The employees had initially demanded a basic salary of Rs. 15,000 and daily allowance of Rs. 374. After several rounds of talks and threat of an indefinite strike, the employees unions had reached an agreement with a section of houseboat owners on pay hike. However, a large number of houseboat owners did not endorse the pay increase leading to an impasse. It was in March the Kerala House Boat and Resort Workers Union (CITU) came up with a proposal after their 27-month contract expired by April last. They demanded at least Rs15,000 as fixed salary and Rs 375 as bata for each employee.
