Surgical dressing manufacturers close down 5,000 powerlooms against increasing cotton price

Rajapalayam Even as Surgical Dressing Manufacturers' Association have gone for a week-long closure, protesting against the spiralling price of cotton in and around Rajapalayam from Wednesday, the workers involved in powerlooms making surgical dressing material have launched an indefinite strike seeking wage settlement for master weavers from Tuesday night.

The manufacturers complained that the price of cotton was increased twice a week in the last few months, which has brought in instability for the manufacturers in fixing price for their product. The price of cotton has doubled.

"We have the practice of making business deals for one year or two year at a fixed rate for our product. But, with the price of cotton keeping on increasing, the manufacturers are not able to arrive at the production cost," said the association president, N. Senthil Raj.

Claiming that hoarding of cotton was leading to such unprecedented increase in price of cotton, the association has demanded the Centre and State to prevent hoarding.

Over 5,000 powerlooms, including those involved in exporting, are closed leading to job loss for more than 10,000 workers.

Meanwhile, the federation of powerloom workers involved in manufacturing surgical bandage has started an indefinite strike seeking agreement for revision of wages.