Spinning mills begin strike

Coimbatore: Open-end spinning mills have launched a strike in protest against power tariff hike and raw material prices.
The mills produce yarn from cotton waste, fabric waste and pet bottles. Over 640 members are involved in production of yarn, including power looms, handlooms and home textiles.
"There has been an abnormal increase in cotton prices. Cotton waste is our raw material.The increase in cotton price has, in effect, pushed the price of cotton waste from 50% to 75%,” Recycled Textile Federation's state president M Jayabal told TOI.
“Apart from this, the State government hiked electricity charges, which have added strain to our operations. Use of electricity during peak hours, which is from 6-10 am and 6-10pm, made an additional 15% charge, Jayabal.
“Before the hike, for 112 kilowatts under the LTCT, we paid a total amount of 3,920, with 35 per kilowatt. Now, we are paying 153 per kilowatt with a total amount rising to 17,200. Also, use of electricity during peak hours, which is from 6-10am to 6-10pm, made an additional 15% charge.”
“We are not able to run the industry due to the hike in electricity charges and cotton. We ran out of liquidity, with the operators facing almost 4 to 5 lakh loss per month,” he added.
The mill operators have begun the strike across the state, demanding the state government to reduce the electricity charges and address the issues of increase in raw material cost.