Kanchi silk industry faces labour crisis

The world renowned Kancheepuram silk saree industry is facing a severe crisis due to the exodus of skilled weavers who have been involved in the exquisite art of silk weaving for many generations, as they have started taking up better paying jobs in the newly set up companies, in the area.

The owners of silk saree shops say that the demand for Kancheepuram silk sarees remains very high in the market, as silk continues to be the traditional wear for every occasion, be it Deepavali, weddings or other major occasions. But, the supply of Kancheepuram silk is very low.

Though, Kancheepuram silk is world famous and sold at a high price in the market, the weavers, who know the secrets of the traditional art, are not earning a high income. Those who are continuing in the industry till now are doing so as they do not have options. Elders in the family of those involved in silk weaving for many generations are anguished about the emerging trend but feel that they could not compel or stress the next generation to continue with the trade since it does not guarantee a better life.

A weaver and his wife involved in the industry could weave two sarees a month if they worked around eight hours a day. They will get about 15 per cent of the cost of the saree which is around Rs 6,000 if the saree price is Rs 40,000 or it could be lower if the price is less. On an average, a weaver, who works with the support of his wife, gets around Rs 10,000 to 12,000 a month.

According to the weavers, even a security or a cooking job will provide them with better wage and lesser work. The situation started changing a decade ago with the emerging of many multinational companies in the neighbouring areas of Sriperumbudur and Maraimalai Nagar. Apart from big firms like Nokia and Ford, IT companies and smaller factories had mushroomed in and around Kancheepuram, resulting in alternative choices for the weavers’ families. 

According to silk weavers’ unions, the number of silk weavers was 70,000 a decade ago and it had shrunk to less than 5,000 in and around Kancheepuram town. There are about 2,000 weavers employed in the 23 co-operative weaving societies. Rest of the weavers were working for private manufacturers. 

The manufacturers also agreed with the estimate and said it is very hard to find workers for weaving. Kancheepuram Handloom Silk and Lace Saree Manufacturers Association president YM Narayanasamy put the numbers at 4,000, including those working in the silk co-operative societies.

“Manufacturers are facing a labour crisis now. We cannot recruit new people and train them. Kancheepuram silk weaving is a unique art known only to weavers in the town,” he said. The manufacturers say that they could not pay higher wages since the production cost is going up every day. The production cost had also gone up for Kancheepuram silk since the raw materials had become costly. The price of zari had gone up to Rs 13,000 a kg and the raw silk costs around Rs 5,000. He said the tradition of weaving was carried on from generation to generation over thousands of years. New workers could not be trained in this since it is a traditional occupation. The youth belonging to the family of traditional silk industry are not only joining new companies but are also taking jobs like cooking and security guards, which ensure regular and good payment, he added. 

K Jeeva, district general secretary of the Tamil Nadu Handloom Weavers’ Association affiliated to CITU, said, “Weavers under private manufacturers are not paid monthly wages. Their wages are calculated by the number of sarees woven. The wages depend on the high quality and creative design. When a weaver completes a silk saree, he will give it to the manufacturer, who had supplied yarn and zari to him and gets his payment. For a low priced silk saree, a weaver gets about Rs 5,000 and it gets higher if the quality and price of the saree go up. A weaver can produce two or three sarees in a month.”