CPM urges state government to resolve powerloom owners' strike without delay
CPM sought the Chief Minister and the Textiles Minister immediate intervention to ensure fair wages and protect the livelihoods of powerloom workers;
Production of sarees and dhotis under way in powerlooms in Erode
CHENNAI: CPM has called on the state government to take swift action to address the ongoing strike by contract-based powerloom owners in Coimbatore and Tirupur districts. The party emphasised that the strike, sparked by long-standing wage issues and rising operational costs, has severely impacted thousands of small-scale producers and workers in the textile sector.
In a resolution passed during its state secretariat meeting held at the party's state office here on Tuesday, CPM sought the Chief Minister and the Textiles Minister immediate intervention to ensure fair wages and protect the livelihoods of powerloom workers.
The meeting was chaired by State Secretariat member Madhukur Ramalingam and attended by key leaders including Polit Bureau members K Balakrishnan and U Vasuki, Central Committee members N Gunasekaran and K Balabharathi, and State Secretary P Shanmugam.
The party pointed out that Tamil Nadu accounts for 54.6 per cent of India’s textile production through powerlooms, with Coimbatore and Tirupur alone hosting over 1.5 lakh contract-based looms. Of the 10.48 lakh powerloom workers across the state, nearly half are concentrated in these two districts.
The Marxist party noted that despite rising electricity and yarn prices, major manufacturers have failed to honor wage agreements with the contract weavers, and in many cases, wages have been reduced. This, the party stated, is unjust and unsustainable. The strike has led to the shutdown of over 50,000 looms in Palladam and Somanur areas, further compounding the crisis.
Describing the situation as severe and exploitative, CPM stressed the need for government intervention to restore operations and ensure economic security for the self-employed and small producers who make up a large part of the state's workforce. It also linked the workers’ struggles to broader economic policies, condemning the BJP-led Union government's GST and other measures that have negatively impacted local producers.