Powerloom workers' body to intensify indefinite strike over power tariff hike

COIMBATORE: The Powerloom Job Workers Association today decided to intensify their strike over power tariff hike issue from tomorrow as the stir entered the 12th day today.

The executive of the association, which met near Sulur on the outskirts of the city, decided to organise demonstrations at various places tomorrow in Coimbatore and Tirupur districts to highlight problems of the workers after the tariff hike, sources in the association said.

It was also decided to stage a five-day relay hunger strike from January 22 after which the future course of action would be decided, they said.

Nearly 1.4 lakh powerlooms in these districts have remained silent from January 7, seeking either the withdrawal of the 15 per cent hike in power tariff or treating it as a subsidy to the weavers.

There was a minimum production loss of Rs 20 crore per day due to the strike.