Supporting powerloom weavers' stir, shops in Coimbatore, Tirupur down shutters

COIMBATORE: Shops put shutters down in parts of Coimbatore and Tirupur district on Tuesday in support of the ongoing protest by job-working powerloom weavers demanding a wage revision.

The weavers, who have been on an indefinite strike since 19 March, began a fasting protest on 11 April and have decided to intensify their agitation as their demand for wage revision is yet to be resolved.

Over 3,000 members of job working powerloom units in Coimbatore and Tirupur participated in the ongoing fast at Somanur, near Coimbatore, on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, heeding an appeal by the protesting powerloom sector, traders shut shops in Somanur and Kannampalayam in Coimbatore, Avinashi, Thekkalur, Samalapuram and Palladam areas in Tirupur for a day.

EM Bhoopathi, president of the Coimbatore-Tirupur district job working powerloom unit’s association, said that a meeting convened by Coimbatore District Collector Pavankumar G Giriyappanavar with textile owners on Tuesday failed to reach a consensus on the wage issue.

“Though we insisted on a wage hike of up to 60 per cent in tune with an increase in electricity tariff, labour charges, and prices of raw materials, the textile manufacturers have agreed to give only a marginal hike. As no consensus was reached through talks, our protests will be intensified,” he said.

The wages were last revised in 2022 by 19 per cent, but were reduced again. Over one lakh powerlooms have halted production in the two districts, resulting in a loss of business worth several crores.