Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

Panel sought to study working conditions of mill workers

Staff Reporter

Memorandum submitted to Government

COIMBATORE: The joint action council of textile workers' unions here has urged the State Government to form a tripartite committee, including representatives of trade unions, to study their working conditions and recommend remedial measures.

In a memorandum, the council recalled that in 1953, a Tamil Nadu Textile Inquiry Committee was formed by the Government to study the working conditions of textile workers. Based on its recommendations, a wage agreement was signed in 1956.

An industry-level wage agreement signed in 1993 expired in 1998. Since a fresh settlement was not reached, the issue was referred to an industrial tribunal in 2001. The council urged the Government to find a solution to the wage issue.

Today, the State had over 2,000 textile mills employing three lakh workers. Most of these were in rural areas, providing employment to women and youngsters.

Earlier, the State had 18 cooperative mills with 4.76 lakh spindles. Now, just one lakh spindles were functional in five of these mills. The unions called for reopening of the other units.

Mill workers should be covered under the Minimum Wages Act. The units now employed most of the workers as apprentice, trainee, contract and daily wagers. These workers received daily wages in the range of Rs. 25 to Rs. 60, depending on the years of service. Bringing them under the Act would increase their wages.

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