P. Justin Jeya Singh
* Ph.D. Research Scholar, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli.
Abstract
The Weavers Agitation in Kanyakumari District prolonged for a long time. Between 1960 and 1970 Labour Organisations were formed to fight for the cause of the working class. But, they did not take much care on the welfare of the labourers as they politicaly motivated. They utilised the factory committees as their political propaganda machinery. As and when they felt the need, they motivated the factory committee to present certain demands for the benefit of the labour force.
Normally, the factory committee consisted of four or five workers of that factory.1 The members went to the office of the proprietor with much reverence and presented their demands for consideration. In the informal talks the proprietor used to give some concessions and the workers would accept those concessions which were highly disappointing to the labourers. But it was accepted without argument. The implementation of the concessions accepted, depended upon the good intention of the proprietor.
Early attempts of Trade Unions
The D.M.K. Party sponsored Kumari Mavatta Dravida Kaithari Nesavalar Sangam and the CITU affiliated Aikkiay Kaithari Nesavu Thozhilalar Sangam took the cause of the labourers during 1964. During those days, the weavers were dreaming of uniform wages for weaving the same variety of cloth, in almost all the factories. In 1964, the factory committee of Monies Textiles demanded that the wages should be on par with the wages paid to the weavers of Rajan Weaving Facotry. The political party based Trade Unions supported the demand of the factory committee of Monies Textiles. Due to the intervention of this, General Manager N. Arunachalam accepted the demand.2
From 1964 onwards, the Trade Unions demanded for the enhancement of the wages. When the proprietors did not pay attention to the demands of the labourers, they resorted to pressure tactics such as gate meetings, slogan shouting and dharna. Ordinarily, the proprietors allowed the labourers to continue their agitation in order to make the labourers suffer due to poverty and withdraw form the strike or force them to accept their decision. In certain circumstances, they punished the labourers and they went to the Labour Court fot establishing their rights. But their efforts were all in vain.
In 1970, there was a widespread scarcity for yarn in the market. Entrepreneurs found it difficult to purchase required yarn for their looms. Threads were not sufficiently available for the weavers. Even the available yarn was supplied in black market. So, there was a standstill in production and the weavers lost their employment. Therefore the Trade Unions planned to organise a joint agitation. They demanded yarn supply at controlled price and sufficient supply of threads for weaving. They presented a memorandum to the proprietors. Gate meetings, slogan – shouting and dharna became regular. As there was no response from the proprietors, the labourers resorted to strike and the police arrested the leaders. The Trade Union leaders, particularly the D.M,K. party based leaders approached the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M. Karunanidhi, who was camping at Kuttalam. The Chief Minister issued necessary government orders for supplying yarn directly to the weavers through the Trade Unions at controlled price. The Trade Unions withdrew the agitation.3 The D.M.K. sponsored Trade Union, Kumari Mavatta Dravida Kaithari Nesavalar Sangam got yarn quota from the government and distributed them to their members. The Nagercoil Nagar Kaithari Javuli Urpathiyalargal Sangam also enjoyed the benefit.4 Thus, the D.M.K. Union sympathised with the weavers and redressed their grievances. The impact of the intervention of the D.M.K. Union was that large number of weavers became D.M.K. Party members and the D.M.K. party began to grow in this part of Tamil Nadu. Not only that the workers who suffered got benefit out of it. Even though some of them had hatred towards D.M.K. did not oppose it openly. The labourers felt that this was not the end of the struggle and it was only the beginning of a long struggle.
The 1972 Struggle
The period between 1960 and 1970 witnessed lull as far as the weavers agitation was concerned. Even though the labourers had minor grievances the proprietors settled them now and then. During 1970 they attempted to influence the government for the supply of control priced yarn without any shortage. The government responded it without any hestitation. In spite of that the Trade Union activities began to grow.
The peaceful industrial climate in 1953 to 1970 and the attractive profits induced the proprietors to add more and more looms in their factories. New entrepreneurs also began to establizh hand-loom factories. This led to a great demand for weavers. A stiff competition emerged among the entrepreneurs in seeking the expert labourers. They offered attractive terms to the labour force to lure the excellent weavers. This paved the way for wage differences in different factories. The wage differences among the labourers who produced the same variety of cloth induced the labourers to think of their wage structure and their nature of work.
The wage structure in hand-loom industry was that the weavers were paid on the basis of their production. In the process of weaving , the weavers used threads in the looms. The processing of thread needed the involvement of a number of labourers. Every weaver had to bear the cost of the labour involved in the processing of thread which he used in the loom. Thus a weaver who was a labourer in the hand-loom industry paid the other labourers involved in the pre-weaving process and thus they were exploited.5 The labourers began to think of the anamoly and discussed the wage structure among themselves.
An entrepreneur from Madurai established a hand-loom factory at Vadasery called the Southern Textiles. In a bid to attract the best labourers from the labour market, he gave certain concessions to the labourers. He reorganised the wage structure of the weavers of his factory in such a way that the charge of processing threads was not collected from the wages of the weavers.6 So, the weavers of Southern Textiles were lucky enough because they received a higher wage than the weavers of other factories. The higher wages for weavers in the Southern Textiles compelled the weavers of other factories to think of a change in their wage structure. The wage difference became a cumbustible material for discussion among the labourers. Within a short period, the labourers of Monies Textiles demanded the benefit which was enjoyed by the weavers of the Southern Textiles. The proprietor of Monies Textiles accepted the demand and followed the wage pattern of the Southern Textiles.
Around 1972, the labourers began to organise under various Trade Unions affiliated to different political parties. The CITU leaders and the functionaries of CPI (M) approached the labourers and tried to kindle the combustible material gathered around the working class. Among the labourers, Krishnan Nair form Aruvikkarai, came to the forefront to expose the cause of the hand-loom labourers. The leaders of CPI (M) utilised his services to organise the weavers.7
In 1972, the Trade Union leaders of CPI (M) Comrades M.M. Ali, K.Velayudham, N. Krishnan Nair and others visited different hand-loom factories and held talks with the workers. The collection of cost of processing threads from the weavers, wage was an inportant issue discussed in the meetings. The leaders clearly explained the exploitation of the labourers by the proprietors. A demand notice was prepared stating that the cost of processing threads should not be collected from the wages of the weavers. In each factory, the workers signed the demand notice and the labour leaders served the same to the proprietors.8
The labourers entered into strike and followed pressure tactics to get their demands conceded. They indulged in slogan shouting, gate meetings and dharna.9 The proprietors were not willing to sit for a talk with the labourers. They avoided to face the labour force because they were still influenced by the reminiscence of the 1952 struggle.
The strike continued for more than twenty days. The labourers without any alternative to get their demand conceded sought to ghero the proprietors.10 When the labourers entered into the drastic attempt of ghero the proprietors, with much hesitation came forward for a talk. The proprietors finally decided to concede the demand.11 The new labour force in the seventees which was ignorant of the Trade Union activities now understood the potentiality of their bargaining power. By this agitation, they came to the conclusion that the Trade Union movement was necessary to safeguard their interest.12
The success of 1972 struggle had its impact on the working class. It induced Trade Union activities among the factory workers. The movement infused courage in their minds. Therefore the Nagercoil Nagar Kaithari Nesavalar Sangam came into existence.13
The 1974 Struggle for Bonus
In 1974, when the Onam Festival14 was nearing, the labourers planned to get a higher bonus than what they got in the previous year. They aimed for an enhanced wage also. In order to press their demands, the workers formed a Joint Action Counciol of various Trade Unions.16 Advocate Thiagarajan, the President of the Nagercoil Nagar Kaithari Nesavalar Sangam was the elected President of the Joint Action Council. K. Velayudham, the Secretary of the Aikkiya Kaithari Nesavu Thozhilalar Sangam was elected as the Secretary. They prepared a Charter of nine demands. Some of their demands were, two months salary as bonus, an enhanced wage for weaving, introduction of Employees Provident Fund.16
Demand notices were served to the proprietors of all the weaving factories. The proprietors were not willing to accept the demands of the Joint Action Council because they thought that the important demands put forward by the labourers such as two months wage as bonus, Employees Provident Fund was not possible to implement.17
Since the Joint Action Council did not receive any reply from the proprietors, it served strike notices. The labourers resorted to gate meetings, slogan shouting, dharna in front of the factories as a preliminary attempt to persuade the proprietors. The proprietors declared lock out in their factories and allowed the labourers to continue their agitation.18 The proprietors left Nagercoil and stayed elsewhere in order to avoid any negotiations with the labourers.
Political parties took the cause of the weavers and organised public meetings. The CPI (M) leaders like Comrades Hemachandran, Divakaran and Perumal and the D.M.K. leaders Thiraviam and G.M. Shah addressed the public meetings in support of the demands of the weavers. The lock out prolonged and the proprietors were not available for negotiations. So the Trade Union leaders organised pressure tactics.19
A relay fast was organised in front of the Nagercoil Nagar Kaithari Javuli Urpathiyalargal Sangam at Thaziyapuram Street, Vadasery. The President of the Joint Action Council of Trade Unions resorted to fast unto death. In order to attract the attention of the government, they organised a procession march towards the District Collector’s Office. 9000 weavers from various parts of the town participated in the procession. They submitted a petition to the Collector to intervene.20 A public hartal was organised on 11-9-1974. The public hartal evoked good response at Vadasery and Ozhuginasery. The Nagara Pavu Ularthum Thozhilalar Sangam supported the cause of the agitating weavers and they participated in the relay fast. They wholeheartedly took part in the hartal.21
Due to the prolonged lock out, the weavers lost their income and they had no means to earn their livelihood. Under the leadership of M. Thavasimuthu, who belonged to the Aikkiya Kaithari Nesavu Thozhilalar Sangam collected public mony and provided food to the starving weavers.22 Their anger against the master knew no bounds and they even led procession with a ‘Padai’ towards the Ozhuginasery river.23
All these attempts of the agitating weavers did not bear fruit. In the meantime the police arrested the President of the Joint Action Council and sent him to the hospital to save his life form death. K. Velayudham, Secretary of the Joint Council sat fast unto death along with other weavers.24
During the course of this agitation, it was reported that a large number of personal assaults on the proprietors occurred.25 The houses of the proprietors of Ranies Textiles, Subash Textiles and Monies Textiles were attacked.26 The police registered a number of criminal cases against the labour leaders and the labourers. The agitation in Nagercoil town attracted the attention of the weavers of hand-loom throughout Tamil Nadu. The weavers of Sellur, Madurai sympathized with the workers of Kanyakumari District and resorted to one day token strike.27
The Assistant Commissioner of Labour (Conciliation) tried his level best to settle the labour dispute. When such attempts failed, various stages of talks were held in the presence of the Tasildar of Agasteeswaram, the Revenue Divisional Officer of Nagercoil and the Collector of Kanyakumari District.
During the talks, Urpathiyalargal Sangam Manager, K.U. Nathan; Marimuthu Company Manager Thillaianandam, Proprietor of Ranies Textile N. Arunachalam; S. Kesavaperumal of Sivathanu Textiles and M. Moni of Rajan Weaving Factory represented the proprietors. The labour leaders who participated in the talks were K.L.S. Santhanam of AITUC, N. Krishnan Nair, K. Velayudham, P. Perumal belonged to CITU and DMK leaders P.Kittappan and V. Thanappan. The proprietors refused to sign a written agreement. But they accepted to declare 8.33 per cent bonus, a marginal rise of wages and wage advance to the weavers for the days of strike period. The struggle prolonged for forty-four days and came to an end on the eve of Deepavali.28 Thus, the labourers won and they felt that it was just the beginning of their long struggle and they have decided to achieve all the benefits that are allowed in the Factory Acts.
References
1. Personal Interview, Krishnan Nair, N., Krishnancoil, 4-1-2015.
2. Personal Interview, Arunachalam, N., Vadasery, 22-2-2015.
3. Personal Interview, Wahab, M.Y.A., Thengapattinam, 21-2-2015.
4. Petition, Nagercoil Nagar Kaithari Javuli Urpathiyalargal Sangam, Nagercoil, dated 10-8-1975.
5. Personal Interview, Velayudham, K., Ozhuginasery, 12-1-2015.
6. Personal Interview, Arunachalam, N., Vadasery, 22-1-2015.
7. Personal Interview, Velayudham, N., Ozhuginasery, 12-5-2015.
8. Ibid.
9. Personal Interview, Arunachalam, N., Vadasery, 22-2-2015.
10. Personal Interview, Velayudham,K., Ozhuginasery, 2-5-2015.
11. Personal Interview, Wahab, M.Y.A., Thengapattinam, 2-5-2015.
12. Personal Interview, Velayudham, K., Ozhuginasery, 2-5-2015.
13. Personal Interview, Ramaswamy, C., Vadasery, 6-5-2015.
14. Onam festival during the month of August is an important State sponsored festival throughout kerala State. The people of Kanyakumari District also celebrate this festival with much pomp and show.
15. Personal Interview, Velayudham,K., Ozhuginasery, 2-5-2015.
16. Personal Interview, Nathan, K.U., Ozhuginasery, 8-5-2015.
17. Ibid.
18. Ibid.
19. Ibid.
20. Ibid.
21. Nagara Pavu Unarthum Thozhilalar Sangam, Minute No.2, dated 28-8-74 and Minute, No.2 dated 9-9-74 pp.29-31.
22. Personal Interview, K. Natarajan, Nagercoil, 9-5-2015.
23. Personal Interview, Nathan, K.U., Ozhuginasery, 8-5-2015.
24. Ibid.
25. Ibid.
26. Personal Interview, Arunachalam, N., Vadasery, 22-2-2015.
27. Personal Interview, Nathan, K.U., Ozhuginasery, 8-5-2015.
28. Ibid.