Belgaum: Deputy Commissioner Shalini Rajneesh has advised owners of powerloom units against resorting to illegal lockouts and asked them to resolve the question of wages amicably with their workers within 10 days.

At a tripartite meeting of powerloom owners, workers and the district administration here on Thursday, she said there is an implicit warning to the owners that the administration could extend the provisions of Factory Act and other labour welfare laws, which none of the powerloom units in the district have implemented.

The Belgaum Nekarara Vedike represented the owners and the Kayakajivi Coolie Nekarara Sangha represented the workers. On the administration side, senior officials of the Labour Department and the Karnataka Handlooms and Textiles Development Corporation assisted the Deputy Commissioner. While the vedike president Eranna Myagoti and Hassan were among the three others representing the vedike, the sangha president Bhimanna, advisor Dilip Kamat and Maruti Dhagennavar spoke on behalf of the workers.

The Deputy Commissioner had convened the meeting in the light of intensified agitation by the workers who are demanding difference in wages for the last three years, appointment orders and a marginal increase in wages.

Also, workers of a few units have launched a strike in Sulebhavi and Vadgaon. While the owners in Sulebhavi settled the matter after eight days of the workers strike by partially conceding their demands and increasing minimum wages of Rs. 3 per sari resulting in restoration of production, the owners in Vadgaon allegedly adopted an antagonistic attitude and resorted to an illegal lockout.

Also, though the city has a large number of powerloom units, only six of them have registered themselves under the Factory Act. Even those employing more than 10 workers have not registered themselves. The vedike has been maintaining an adamant attitude that the owners cannot run the units under the purview of the law due to the complex nature of the industry and the declining demand for their products.

After giving a patient hearing to the two sides, the Deputy Commissioner said she was convinced that the demands of the workers were genuine and within the purview of the law. She said the workers are demanding payment of difference in wages, which the owners had cut (owing to a sluggish textile market) for the past three years, maintenance of attendance registers and a marginal increase in the wages (in the light of Government providing a Rs. 100-crore special package and power subsidy).

These demands are genuine, she said and added they are not asking the owners to pay wages as per the Minimum Wage Act, which the owners should realise.

She said the owners should realise that powerloom units cannot run without workers and therefore, they should have a cordial relationship with the latter.

The owners should not have any problem in issuing appointment orders. As for giving the difference in wages and increase in wages, the owners should sit with the workers to resolve the problem amicably within 10 days.

The Deputy Commissioner also told the owners to modernise their units so that they can produce saris of international quality to face competition.

She said she would try to establish a textile park, arrange training programmes and workshops on skill improvement to give a boost to the industry. But the welfare of workers cannot be ignored, she said.

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