KOZHIKODE: 35,000 litres of rubber milk is getting stale at the Perambra estate of the Plantation Corporation of Kerala (PCK) due to the labourers’ strike. According to estate sources, the government is losing Rs 15 lakhs per day since November 13 when the strike began. The suspension of four CITU labourers and their reinstatement in another division triggered the strike. “No other labour unions are protesting. The reinstatement after suspension is according to procedure,” said a PCK officer.
The estate management did not attend the meeting convened by the Kozhikode labour commissioner on Friday. “A meeting including all stakeholders has been called at PCK headquarters in Kottayam on November 28. We were told not to attend other talks,” he said. Meanwhile, the CPI-affiliated AITUC’s stand that the strike is unwanted has buoyed the PCK management. But Perambra Area Estate Union (CITU) leader K. Sunil reiterated that the strike was genuine and against the arrogance of a few officials.
“The labour officer has found that PCK is exploiting labourers by employing them for rubber tapping during the day and as night watchmen at night,” he pointed out. Meanwhile, PCK is all set to resume activities on Monday as the high court had ordered police protection for the functioning on Friday. But the protesters prevented resumption of activities on Saturday.
