Powerloom job workers yet to get wage hike

COIMBATORE: Despite an agreement being signed, uncertainty continues to loom over the wage hike for powerloom job workers in Thekkalur, Palladam and Avinashi in Tirupur district. Although master weavers agreed to a 10% wage increase on April 20, the hike is yet to be implemented in many units.

Boopathi, president of the Job-Working Powerloom Unit Weavers Association of Coimbatore and Tirupur, said more than 1.5 lakh powerloom units engaged in job work for textile manufacturers operate in the two districts.

"After our continuous protests, a consensus was reached to implement a 15% wage hike for the Somanur variety and a 10% hike for other varieties, in addition to the wages agreed upon in the 2022 settlement," he said.

"The wage hike was implemented in Somanur in Coimbatore about 15 days ago. However, around 20% of the units in the district are yet to implement it. Powerloom job workers in Thekkalur, Palladam and Avinashi in Tirupur have not received the revised wages at all," he added.

Boopathi said the association has taken up the issue with the district collectors of Coimbatore and Tirupur, as well as the labour department commissioner, who assured them that the matter would be looked into.

"We will hold a meeting on Sunday to decide the next course of action. If the agreed wage hike is not implemented soon, we will announce a protest," he said.

The assistant commissioner of the labour department in Tirupur has called for a meeting on Wednesday to discuss the issue, he added.