Cashew sector, a traditional industry of Kerala, is facing an unprecedented crisis and the grievances of the labourers will be presented in the upcoming parliamentary session, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said.
Interacting with selected representatives of the industry at Neendakara in Kollam on Friday, Mr. Gandhi said all their problems will be solved if the United Democratic Front (UDF) comes to power in Kerala. He was in Kollam district on the day as part of the ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra.
While most factories have downed shutters due to the crisis, some workers said their wages have not been revised during the last seven years. They also pointed out that many cashew workers are not receiving any benefits, including EPF pension and ESI privileges.
“Let alone treatment, ESI hospitals are not even providing medicines. Since our working days are very less, we hardly receive any benefits,” said Kanchanavalli, a cashew worker, requesting Mr. Gandhi to intervene.
Sindhu, who works in a factory at Perinadu, said she is worried that the cashew industry may also collapse like the coir sector. “In the present condition, the industry will not survive perhaps more than a year. Steps should be taken to increase the number of working days, providing us an opportunity to earn our livelihood,” she said.
Observing that their demands are fair, Mr. Gandhi assured cashew workers that their problems will be raised in the next session of Lok Sabha. The UDF will stand with the labourers and fight for their rights in Parliament and the Kerala Assembly, he said. “Till the demands are met, we will intensify agitations inside both the Houses and outside them,” he added.
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president K. Sudhakaran; Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan; All India Congress Committee General Secretary K.C. Venugopal, MP; Ramesh Chennithala, MLA; KPCC working president Kodikunnil Suresh, MP; N.K. Premachandran, MP, and P.C. Vishnunath, MLA, were among those present on the occasion.
