Weavers Indefinite Strike From March 19

Chennai: The Tiruppur District Job-Working Powerloom Weavers’ Association, which represents 1.5 lakh members, has announced an indefinite strike starting from March 19, demanding a wage hike.

The association has been staging protests over the past few days, urging textile manufacturers to revise wages in line with rising costs.

S.E. Boopathy, treasurer of the association, stated, “We are demanding a new wage hike because expenses have increased significantly in the past three years. Power tariffs, building rent, powerloom spare parts, and workers’ wages have all risen sharply.” Tiruppur and Coimbatore districts, home to around 2.5 lakh powerlooms, employ nearly 4 lakh workers and produce approximately 1.25 crore metres of woven fabric daily. Industry experts estimate that the strike could result in daily losses of around Rs35 crore.

Since 1991, powerloom wages have been revised every three years through negotiations involving textile manufacturers, weavers, and district collectors from Coimbatore and Tiruppur.

In February 2022, both sides had agreed upon a 15 per cent wage hike, but textile manufacturers allegedly failed to implement it.