2 lakh power loom units commence 15-day strike

COIMBATORE: More than two lakh power loom units in Coimbatore and Tirupur districts commenced a strike for 15 days from Sunday against increase in price of yarn and cotton.

These power loom units churn out two crore metres of fabric a day worth around Rs 100 crore. Over five lakh people are employed directly and indirectly in the power loom units, which have now gone into a strike till June 5.

Power loom units, mostly concentrated in areas such as Somanur, Karumathampatti, Thottipalayam areas in Coimbatore and in Palladam, Somanur, Avinashi Thekkalur, Mangalam, Kannampalayam and Pudupalayam in Tirupur have stopped production demanding government’s intervention to check the increasing prices.

Due to the strike, the allied sector including mills, sizing units and the transportation sector were also hit badly.

Further, as many as 1,200 spinning mills attached to South India Spinners Association (SISPA) have decided to stop operations till the situation turns conducive.

“Based on the current yarn prices, the mills are incurring a loss of Rs 50 to Rs 60 per kg. Thereby it becomes unsustainable to operate. Procurement of cotton has also been stopped due to their high price. At the beginning of the cotton season, only large cotton traders and multinational companies purchased them in huge quantities and stockpiled them,” said J Selvan, president of SISPA.