Chennai, March 13 : The Tiruppur District Job-Working Powerloom Weavers Association, which represents 1.5 lakh members, has announced an indefinite strike starting from March 19, demanding a wage hike.

The association has been staging protests over the past few days, urging textile manufacturers to revise wages in line with rising costs.

S.E. Boopathy, treasurer of the association, stated, 'We are demanding a new wage hike because expenses have increased significantly in the past three years. Power tariffs, building rent, powerloom spare parts, and workers' wages have all risen sharply.'

Tiruppur and Coimbatore districts, home to around 2.5 lakh powerlooms, employ nearly 4 lakh workers and produce approximately 1.25 crore metres of woven fabric daily.

Industry experts estimate that the strike could result in daily losses of around '35 crore.

Since 1991, powerloom wages have been revised every three years through negotiations involving textile manufacturers, weavers, and district collectors from Coimbatore and Tiruppur.

In February 2022, both sides had agreed upon a 15 per cent wage hike, but textile manufacturers allegedly failed to implement it.

Now, the weavers are divided into two factions. One group, led by the Tiruppur and Coimbatore Powerloom Weavers Association, which has 1 lakh members, is demanding the implementation of the 2022 wage hike. The other faction is pushing for a new wage revision altogether.

The Tiruppur district administration is attempting to mediate and resolve the dispute.

S. Prema, Assistant Commissioner of the Tamil Nadu Labour Department, stated, 'One section of weavers wants the previously agreed-upon 2022 hike, while another demands a fresh increase. We are working to build a consensus, as negotiations cannot proceed with divided opinions.'

She also confirmed that the District Collector has instructed both groups to find common ground, and discussions will soon be held with textile manufacturers.

Notably, beyond the 4 lakh directly employed workers, an additional 3 lakh people are indirectly dependent on the powerloom industry in Tiruppur and Coimbatore, making a swift resolution crucial to avoiding further economic impact.

/IANS