Workers strike in tea estates continues

Thiruvananthapuram: Women workers in four plantation estates of Harrisons Malayalam in Idukki district continued their strike for the third day Friday demanding higher wages and bonus.

The management of Harrison Malayalam has called the striking workers representatives for talks Friday.

In another development, the workers of another plantation in Thenmala in Kollam began stir Thursday with the same demands.

Close on the heels of the agitation by their counterparts at nearby Munnar, workers of other plantations, including the state-run ones, have also warned of agitation if their demands for higher bonus and wage revision were not met.

Workers of a private tea estate in Thennmala in Kollam gheroed the manager of the company as part of their agitation.

The main demand of the workers include 20 per cent bonus, wage revision and improvement in facilities at their labour camps, the sources said.

Munnar women tea plantation workers agitation assumed significance as they won their stir by keeping the trade unions at bay.

They ended their nine-day-old agitation after the management of Kannan Devan Hills Plantations agreed to their major demands in a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

The women workers had demanded 20 per cent bonus and Rs 500 as daily wages.