Headlines
Kerala plantation labourers to launch indefinite strike from Monday
Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 26
A day-long marathon
meeting of the 'plantation labour committee' (PLC) held here in the
Kerala capital on Saturday failed to break the deadlock over the demand
of Rs.500 as daily wage for plantation workers, following which the
trade unions announced an indefinite strike from Monday.
Around
10,000 women plantation workers, working in the Munnar tea plantations
owned by the Kannan Devan Hills Plantations (KDHP) Company Private
Limited, went on a strike earlier this month. After nine days, their
demand of 20 percent bonus was accepted.
At that time, when talks
was held under Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, it was decided that their
demand of raising their daily wage from Rs.231 to Rs.500 would be
considered at the PLC meeting.
After the nearly nine-hour-long
meeting, state Labour Minister Shibu Baby John told reporters that the
trade unions demanded Rs.500 as daily wage, which the Association of
Planters Kerala (APK) did not agree to.
"The state government has
put up some suggestions before the APK. They said they will look into
it and return for the next round of talks scheduled for Tuesday
evening," said John.
Meanwhile, the trade unions announced that they will go ahead with an indefinite strike starting on Monday.
The
women workers in Munnar, who were anxiously waiting to hear the outcome
of the talks, said they were not going to budge from their demand of
Rs.500 as daily wage.
A male plantation worker told reporters in
Munnar: "If it was an all-women strike earlier, we the men would also
join the indefinite strike from Monday. We are waiting for the return of
our women leaders from the capital city and tomorrow (Sunday), we will
meet as many employees as possible to launch our strike from Monday."
APK representatives termed the situation "most unfortunate".
"We will have no other option but to declare a lockout, if they (unions) insist on Rs.500," said an APK representative.