Pompilai Orumai avoids agitation at night after police intervention, to continue hunger strike

Munnar: Members of Pompilai Orumai, the newly-founded ‘non-unionised’ organisation of tea-leaf pluckers at Kannan Devan Hills Plantations, who launched a relay hunger strike on Thursday demanding wage hike, withdrew from the agitation at night after the police advised them to limit it just to the day time due to security reasons.

Pompilai Orumai leaders said the stir from 9 am to 5.30 pm will continue from Friday.

The women tea plantation workers in the high range of Munnar in Idukki district intensified their stir by launching a relay 'hunger strike' on Thursday.

The women workers are observing the relay fast in support of their demand to hike wages to Rs 500 per day from Rs 232 at present.

Wednesday, some trade union activists had pelted stones at them after being unhappy over their decision to not join an united stir.

Meanwhile, the strike by plantation workers in other parts of the state, demanding wage hike, intensified Friday as the agitation entered the fifth day.

Plantation workers in Pathanamthitta burnt an effigy of labour minister Shibu Babu John and blocked the main arterial roads on Thursday.

At least three lakh workers of various plantations are on strike for better wages.

The plantation managements have made it clear that it would be unviable for them to raise the wages to Rs 500 per day.