Plantation talks again today

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Plantation Labour Committee (PLC) meeting to resolve the demands of plantation workers remained inconclusive on Tuesday though the government claimed that there was some headway on the issue.

The PLC meeting will resume on Wednesday after the cabinet meeting. “We will meet tomorrow at 11 a.m. There is some progress, we are hopeful of a solution tomorrow,” Power Miniser Aryadan Mohammad said after the meeting.

Labour Minister Shibu Baby John refused to disclose the details of the discussions. “The talks are on. We have convened back-to-back PLC as the strike was still going on in the plantation sector,” he said.

The meeting on Wednesday will be held in the presence of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. Sources said the plantation owners had agreed to hike the wages by Rs 33.

However, the trade unions have rejected the offer. Though the central trade unions had demanded Rs 500 initially, they have agreed to climb down on their demand to resolve the ongoing strike.

Meanwhile,  the central trade unions leaders who had planned to launch an indefinite fast in front of the secretariat from Wednesday, have decided to wait for the outcome of the meeting on Wednesday.