The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Match units observe one-day strike

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Tuesday, Jun 24, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Match units observe one-day strike

Staff Reporter

Protesting against increase in prices of raw materials

Emerging issue: Political leaders and members of All India Federation of Cottage Matches Manufacturers’ Association during a demonstration in front of the Virudhunagar Collectorate on Monday.

VIRUDHUNAGAR: Over 3,000 match units affiliated to the All India Federation of Cottage Matches Manufacturers’ Association went on a token strike on Monday protesting against the increasing prices of raw materials.

Hundreds of match workers staged a demonstration in front of the Collectorate to press upon the State and Centre the need to intervene in the problems faced by the cottage match industry.

The Sivakasi MP, A. Ravichandran, the MLAs, T. Ramasamy, R. Varadarajan, Communist Party of India (Marxist), and S. Balasubramanian, and the former MP, V. Alagirisamy, were among those who addressed the protestors.

The cost of raw materials had gone up manifold without any control. Cost of red phosphorus alone had increased five times in recent months, resulting in lock out of hundreds of units, they said. Even in this situation, some of the giants involved in match manufacturing and marketing were selling matches at a price lower than the production cost, putting “unfair” pressure on the cottage industry, the federation members alleged.

The federation president, V.M.G. Rajasekaran, and the general secretary, S. Palanikumar, were among those who led the workers in the protest.

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