'Pempilai Orumai' launches day-night stir

Munnar: A section of women workers at Kannan Devan Hills Plantation (KDHP) in Munnar on Wednesday launched a day-night stir demanding to hike daily wages to Rs 500.

The leaders of the women work force of KDHP, under the banner 'Pempilai Orumai', said the indefinite stir is in protest of the government’s failure to keep its promises.

They had held a successful nine-day strike earlier this month that virtually put into focus the issues related to labourers in plantation sectors in the state. The stir was called off after the government accepted their demands. However, the leaders Wednesday said the government has failed to walk the talk.

The 'Pempilai Orumai' leaders added they were not joining the stir launched by the United Trade Unions. “We are going to lead our protest separately.”

Meanwhile, the Plantation workers, under different trade unions, decided to continue their indefinite strike following the failure of second round of talks at the Plantation Labour Committee here Tuesday on the contentious issue of wage hike and 20 per cent bonus.

With talks having failed, trade union leaders said they would intensify their agitation which entered the third day Wednesday.

Nearly three lakh plantation workers, employed in different estates in Kerala, are on strike demanding wage hike and 20 per cent bonus.

The trade unions struck to its demand for daily wage of Rs 500 while plantation-owners maintained that it was not possible for them to hike it to that level.

AITUC, CITU, INTUC, BMS and several small trade unions are participating in the strike.