The woman estate workers of Kerala’s tea country Munnar on Thursday evening temporarily called off the indefinite day-night hunger strike they started in the morning due to security problems even as the indefinite strike called by the various trade unions jointly kept almost all plantations in the State paralysed for the fourth consecutive day.
Both the trade unions and the Ponbila Orumai, an informal unity of the woman tea estate workers of Kanan Devan Hill Plantations ltd of Munnar are demanding hiking of the daily wage from the present Rs232 to Rs500. Though the trade unions had started their strike in all plantations in the State on Monday, the Orumai had begun its agitation only on Wednesday.
The day-night indefinite strike announced by the Orumai was called off after the police informed them about their inability to provide security during night-time and inclement weather. Orumai leaders said they were calling off the day-night strike to be held in Munnar town due to security threat as those involved in Wednesday’s attack against them had not been arrested.
Munnar town had witnessed tension on Wednesday following stone-pelting by striking trade union workers at the members of the Orumai. However, Munnar town remained peaceful on Thursday. Over 300 police personnel had been specially deployed in the hill town in the context of Wednesday’s troubles.
leaders of the Orumai complained that trade union workers and leaders were threatening the woman workers who were coming to join the strike. “We don’t know why they are doing this. We are not seeking any help from them nor are we against them. We have lodged a complaint with the police,” said Orumai leader Gomathi Augustine.
The Orumai’s agitation on Thursday witnessed the participation of more workers than that on Wednesday. The unity’s leaders said that their decision was to intensify the agitation in the coming days. Ponbila Orumai was born during the woman workers’ successful nine-day agitation early September demanding bonus hike from ten percent to 20 per cent.
At the same time, the striking trade unions on Thursday decided to intensify their agitation from Friday. The unions started the agitation after a meeting of the Plantation labour Committee (PlC) on September 26 failed to reach a consensus on hiking the daily wages. Another PlC meeting last Tuesday also failed to take a decision.
On Thursday, State labour Minister Shibu Baby John said that the Government was hopeful of finding some solution to the issue at the PlC meeting.