COIMBATORE: Textile, turmeric and other goods worth Rs 200 crore are stagnated due to a strike by load men demanding hike in wages in Erode.
More than 2,000 men have abstained from work for the second day on Friday. “Our protest will continue indefinitely until an agreement is reached with goods transport companies on the issue of wage revision. Wages of loadmen should be increased by 41 percent,” said KS Thennarasu, general secretary of Tamil Nadu General Workers Central Union.
About 200 crore worth goods including textiles, turmeric, fodder for cattle and other items are piled up in godowns and lorries as transportation and loading, unloading have been hit.
Trade union representatives, who staged a demonstration on the Park Road in Erode, claimed that they used to make agreements on wage revision with Erode Goods Transport Association once in three years. But wages were not hiked for loadmen for over the last six years.
There are more than 450 firms involved in goods transport, in Park Road, Moolapattarai and Kuppaikadu areas in the district. Godowns as well as lorry services are run by these companies. As the goods transport companies refused to hike wages despite several representations, the load men resorted to strike.