Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

Wage accord in Anamallai plantations

Special Correspondent

COIMBATORE: The plantation unions and the Planters' Association in Anamallai region have signed a new wage accord covering nearly 26,000 workers.

Under this, a consolidated pay of Rs. 77 per day has been fixed for daily rated workers. This is against the interim wage of Rs. 72 paid since January 1, 2002. The wage is to be raised to Rs. 77.15 from July 1, 2005.

According to a release from C.D. Ganapathi, chairman of the Anamallai Planters' Association, the settlement signed on September 23 has opened a "new chapter in the uneasy relationship and mutual mistrust that existed over the past four years".

He recounted the serious financial crisis facing the plantation industry since 2000 that forced the managements to terminate the wage settlement and propose a wage reduction from Jan 1, 2002.This led to agitation of workers and chain of litigations in the Madras High Court.

Interim settlement

An interim settlement with a moderate wage reduction was reached on April 6, 2002. But as a final settlement could not be reached, the dispute was referred to the Special Industrial Tribunal, Chennai, for adjudication.

As the proceedings were taking time, a bipartite settlement was concluded recently. However, the disputes relating to the wages payable for the period from Jan 1, 2002 to Dec 31, 2004 would be left to the tribunal's decision.

The new settlement envisages a modified incentive scheme, higher incentive rates and a separate scheme for shear harvesting. Issues such as job differentials and wages of supervisors, non-staff and skilled workers would be settled shortly.

The settlement is for three years ending December 31, 2007 and it would result in a total financial liability of Rs. 8 crores per year for the employers.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

No eviction until alternative sites identified
Wage accord in Anamallai plantations
Child with congenital cataract operated upon successfully
Change in traffic pattern
Transfer requests for teachers
Golden Jubilee celebrations
Seminar on HR strategies
Around the City
In Coimbatore Today

Copyright © 2005, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu