Coimbatore Collector holds discussion with power loom owners in Coimbatore and Tiruppur

Power loom owners in Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts, who weave on a contract basis, have been on strike for the past week, demanding a wage hike. With nearly 1.5 lakh power looms shut down, the livelihood of thousands of workers who depend on them, both directly and indirectly, is at risk.
In this situation, Coimbatore District Collector Pawan Kumar held discussions today with power loom owners from Coimbatore district. Representatives from power loom associations in Annur, Thekkalur, Somanur, and Kannampalayam participated in the talks.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Bhupathi, president of the Coimbatore-Tiruppur District Power Loom Owners Association, stated that they have been demanding a revision of the wages set in 2022 for the past 15 months. Despite holding 10 rounds of discussions and staging protests, their demands remain unaddressed.
He further said that over one lakh power looms have been shut down as part of the ongoing strike. During the meeting, he stressed to the District Collector that the survival of the power loom sector depends on a wage increase. In response, the Collector assured them that their demands would be considered.
Additionally, Bhupathi mentioned that the district administration has proposed tripartite talks involving the power loom sector and the textile industry. He highlighted that the ongoing strike is causing a daily loss of Rs.25 to Rs.30 crore, with an estimated Rs.200 crore loss in just one week.
The association has demanded a 50% to 60% wage increase from the 2022 contract rates.