The Tiruppur District Job-Working Powerloom Weavers Association, representing 1.5 lakh members, has announced an indefinite strike from March 19, demanding a wage hike. The association has been protesting for several days, urging textile manufacturers to increase wages in response to rising costs.
Why Are Weavers Going on Strike?
According to S.E. Boopathy, treasurer of the association, the weavers are demanding a new wage hike because expenses have significantly increased over the past three years. The cost of electricity, building rent, spare parts, and workers’ wages has gone up, making it difficult for powerloom owners to sustain operations.
Tiruppur and Coimbatore districts together have about 2.5 lakh powerlooms, providing employment to nearly 4 lakh workers. These powerlooms produce approximately 1.25 crore metres of woven fabric every day. If the strike continues, experts estimate a daily loss of ₹35 crore for the textile industry.
History of Wage Revisions
Since 1991, wages for powerloom workers have been revised every three years through negotiations between textile manufacturers, weavers, and district collectors from Tiruppur and Coimbatore.
In February 2022, both sides had agreed on a 15% wage hike, but weavers claim that textile manufacturers failed to implement it. This has led to a division among the weavers.
- One faction, led by the Tiruppur and Coimbatore Powerloom Weavers Association, with 1 lakh members, is demanding the implementation of the 2022 wage hike.
- The other faction is pushing for a completely new wage revision.
Government’s Mediation Efforts
The Tiruppur district administration is trying to resolve the dispute. S. Prema, Assistant Commissioner of the Tamil Nadu Labour Department, stated that negotiations cannot move forward unless both factions agree on a common demand. The District Collector has urged both groups to reach a consensus, and discussions with textile manufacturers will be held soon.
Beyond the 4 lakh directly employed workers, nearly 3 lakh additional workers depend indirectly on the powerloom industry. A prolonged strike could have serious economic consequences, making a swift resolution essential.
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