Kozhikode: Talks fail to solve stir by 2 women workers

Kozhikode: The talks held by the district labour officer to solve the agitation by two women employees of Perambra Estate run by the Plantation Corporation of Kerala have failed.

Two tapping employees, K.M. Smitha and B. Amina, have been on an indefinite strike for the last four days before the manager’s office at the estate under the INTUC banner protesting against their removal from the job.

They claimed that they were working as tapping labourers for the last seven months and that they were removed abruptly and illegally. But the estate authorities said that they were included in the task team by mistake and hence were dropped. “They were not dismissed nor stripped of their permanent labourer status. 

They were only removed from the tapping job and will be deputed for other jobs,” said estate manager M.P. Siby. At the meeting convened by district labour officer P.P. Santhosh Kumar, the estate authorities repeated their stand that the labourers would be deputed for other jobs. “Only senior labourers are included in the task force. Both Smitha and Amina were included as their attendance was calculated wrongly. When the error was noticed, they were removed,” said Mr Siby. 

But the labourers and INTUC leader Jithesh Muthukad, who attended the meeting, wanted them to be reinstated in the task group. According to the labour officer, further talks will be held with the participation of all labour unions. The women employees have decided to continue their agitation.