Women tea workers in Kerala snub trade unions once again

Kerala opposition leader Achuthanandan with tea workers during an agitation in Munnar.

Women plantation labourers of Munnar in Kerala, who won a historic battle for bonus on their own, have once again snubbed the established trade unions by keeping off the indefinite strike called by the latter for wage hike.
The strike was called by trade unions affiliated to all major parties after the Plantation Labour Committee (PLC) that met here on Saturday failed to arrive at a consensus on hiking the wage of plantation workers from Rs.232 per day to Rs.500.
Though the planters had agreed to return to the PLC on Tuesday after deliberating on the proposals put forth by the state government, the trade unions decided to go ahead with the strike. According to reports from Munnar, more than 80 per cent of the women workers reported for work while plantations in other parts of the state came to a standstill due to the strike.
The women workers of Kannan Devan Hill Plantation (KHDP), who made the company agreed to pay 20 per cent bonus by spearheading a strike for nine days after keeping the trade unions off, have decided to give the talks to be resumed on Tuesday a chance.
The women, who were not allowed to participate in the PLC meeting, announced their decision after talking to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy at Kottayam on Sunday. Lissy, who led the team, told reporters after the talks that they were hopeful that the company would concede their 'just' demand.
She said that the management's claim that the higher wage would push the company into loss was baseless. The company has been presenting manipulated accounts before the workers and the government authorities to show loss. She has urged the government to get the accounts audited by an independent agency to bring out the truth.
The workers at Munnar said that they were ready to increase productivity if the company accepted their demand. Gomathy, a worker in the forefront of the agitation, said that the company belongs to them and they will not allow it to suffer loss.
Communist Party of India (CPI) state secretary Kanam Rajendran said that the decision of the Munnar workers to stay away from the strike will not affect the struggle. A section of workers cannot defeat a strike being launched unitedly by all the trade unions. He said that the unions will continue the strike until the demands are met.
The chief minister asked opposition leaders not to try to derive political benefit from the issue. The government's attempt is to ensure maximum benefit to the workers without affecting the sector which is now passing through a crisis. Chandy urged the plantation companies to adopt a humanitarian approach considering the changes in the attitudes and aspirations of the estate workers, specially the women.

• India