The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Powerloom workers continue strike

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Sunday, Feb 10, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Powerloom workers continue strike

Staff Reporter

ANTHIYUR: A little away from this border town in Thavuttupalayam, weaving has come to a halt. It has been so for the past five days, as powerloom workers have struck work demanding increased wages.

The weavers’ contention is that they have worked without a hike for nearly 18 years and that labourers in other vocations earn more.

“A casual labourer in construction industry in Anthiyur earns between Rs. 80 and 90 a day, where we get only Rs. 70,” R. Dharman, a representative of the workers complains.

Mr. Dharman says that there are over 3,000 such workers in Thavuttupalayam alone. The number includes those working allied activities like warping and yarn winding.

The powerloom weavers, the owners of the loom, however, say they cannot afford the rise demanded by the workers but can give a marginal increase.

“Giving in to the demands of the workers will make weaving economically unviable as we will have to factor in other expenses like power charges,” says Varadarajan, president of the powerloom owners’ association.

To resolve the deadlock, the weavers, workers and Bhavani Tahsildar met at the Bhavani Taluk office on Friday evening.

The only outcome of the talks was that the issue would be discussed in front of a labour officer on February 15, Tahsildar office sources say.

Workers said they would meet the owners on Saturday evening, and if the deadlock continued they would resort to agitation.

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