Coimbatore: The Coimbatore Mill Workers' Union has demanded for action to be initiated to address the demands of the cotton mill workers in Tamil Nadu.
Coimbatore: The Coimbatore Mill Workers' Union has demanded for action to be initiated to address the demands of the cotton mill workers in Tamil Nadu.
The Tamil Nadu Mill Workers Central Union Joint Action Committee State Secretary and former MLA Vumana M Arumugam petitioned the Tamil Nadu Labour Welfare Minister saying, “Salary hike for mill workers in Tamil Nadu were agreed upon in 1974, 1979, 1985, 1993 and, wage hike and concessions were granted.
The agreement reached in December 1993 ended in 1998. The workers went on strike in 2001 on behalf of the Central Unions of workers in the state, demanding a new industrial pay rise. At the request of the then Minister of Labour, the strike was called off. The Government of Tamil Nadu order No. 689, dated 13.09.2001 had 12 points including wage increase in the order.
The Government of Tamil Nadu order No. (d) 690 dated 13.09.2001 provides for interim relief of Rs. 225 per month for factories. Therefore, the total amount of Rs.1300 and Rs.900 was ordered to be paid. Mill administrations went to the Chennai High Court refusing to grant interim relief by order of the Government. On 19.07.2010, the Chennai High Court ordered that the above orders be passed.
Current situation in mills
Between 2001 and 2021, employers, through the Compulsory Retirement Scheme and the Retirement Scheme expelled permanent workers through new textile policies, exit policies, etc. and operated the plant without enforcing any of the Workers' Welfare laws.
1. There are no permanent workers in any of the private factories.
2. Mangalya scheme, marriage assistance scheme, camp wage system, contract workers, casual workers and apprentice workers are employed in such wages.
Through agents from the southern districts and the north, young women from poverty-stricken families bring minors into the factory premises, hire them for low wages and run the plant irrespective of stipulated working hours. Several complaints were made to the Government and authorities but no action had been taken so far.
Factory employers completely refuse to let workers form a union, and are not even allowing leave for workers. In many factories, young women have been sexually harassed and yet unable to voice it out in the open. A complaint has been lodged with several police stations in this regard. The right to “human rights violations,” the right to free speech and the right to form a union is being denied by factory owners. Even the minimum wage announced by the Government is denied.
Fixing a minimum wage for mill workers
A notice was issued by the Government dated 17.09.2020 on G.O. (D) No.437 to fix the minimum wage for workers. The committee met twice and said that a meeting should be immediately initiated to determine the minimum wage for workers. The cotton industry, which uses cotton as its raw material is the second largest employment sector after agriculture.
The Government should pay more attention to protect the interests of the industry and workers. The Department of Labour should take the initiative to take appropriate action against executives who work in it and administrations that do not enforce labour welfare laws.
In Tamil Nadu, when Dr. Kalaignar, was the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, an Amendment was passed in the Legislative Assembly stating that the working period was 6 months and it was sent to the President for approval. But the law has not yet come into force. During the tenure of the Chief Minister M K Stalin, workers should be made permanent.
The Minister of Labor and Welfare calls on the trade unions to take action to find a solution to the above problems at a time when they are questioning the livelihood of the workers for trade unions to benefit from the increase in wages and other benefits."