Jobless rubber tappers in Kumari district demand rain allowance

MADURAI: Many rubber-tapping workers in parts of Kanniyakumari district were rendered jobless after many days of heavy rainfall.

Normally during a workday in rubber plantation areas, every worker earned Rs 500 to Rs 800. But, now the rubber tappers are finding it difficult to make ends meet.

Considering the plight of the workers, the State government should provide compensation for them during this rainy season, like how the fishermen were given annual fishing ban period relief and compensation for rain-affected salt workers.

Currently, there are over 20,000 rubber-tappers in Kanniyakumari district, M Valsakumar, general secretary of the workers’ union, said on Wednesday.

According to C Balachandran Nair, secretary, Kanniyakumari District Rubber Farmers Association, persistent rains in plantation areas disrupted tapping for over the last 15 days now.

Not only the workforce, but the rubber farmers are also reeling from difficulties due to a drastic decline in its market price.

P Nadarajan, a worker from the Arasu Rubber Corporation, said a rain allowance of Rs 115 is given to a tapping worker during a rain-hit day by a company that entered into a wage settlement agreement, but many workers, who rely on small rubber farms, were not provided with such rain allowance.

A Velappan, who worked for Manalodai Division Arasu Rubber Corporation Limited, from Thuckalay, said, “Governments come and go, but still the demand for rain allowance remains unmet.

Earlier, representations were made to former CMs J Jayalalithaa and Edappadi K Palaniswami for providing rain period relief for the rubber workers, but in vain. Now, this government should consider our legitimate need for the rain allowance and fulfill it soon.”