Tiruppur hosiery workers seek minimum wage withdrawal

Workers in the hosiery knitwear industry in Tiruppur are demanding the withdrawal of a recent minimum wages notification from the Tamil Nadu government. This notification was issued in February 2024 and set basic wages at ₹8,090 with a Dearness Allowance (DA) of ₹23.19 for each point above 196 points. Workers and trade unions argue that this amount is insufficient and does not reflect their suggestions. The garment industry in Tiruppur employs around six lakh workers. Unions state that wages for this sector should be based on scientific calculations. They also mention that the government did not follow past guidelines for setting these wages. Workers and union representatives held a meeting to discuss their next steps regarding this issue. In the past, there have been legal challenges from garment manufacturers when wages were revised. In 2018, the government updated a nearly 50-year-old wage notification. However, trade unions claim this new minimum wage was lower than what workers were already earning based on prior agreements. If wages were calculated properly, unions believe workers should earn nearly ₹33,000 a month. The outcome of discussions with the government will determine future actions by the unions.