Labour Is Troubled, Yet Returns Higher

Labour Is Troubled, Yet Returns Higher Hansavivek KESORAM INDUSTRIES has stepped up dividend from five per cent to ten per cent following a substantial improvement in the working results in spite of 'illegal' strikes in some of the units and unsatisfactory working of the textile section on account of very high prices of cotton and after-effects of 'serious' labour trouble during the preceding year. The management says that even now 'constant pinpricks' continue in the textile section and that this is having adverse effect on production and working results. As per recommendation of the Wage Fixing Committee appointed by the state government, dearness allowance has been considerably increased. Moreover, in the wake of increase of wages in the jute industry, the Textile Workers' Union gave a strike notice to the industry last May. At the intervention of the Labour Minister of the state, the strike was averted, but only by giving an interim relief from June 1972, which will cost the company an additional Rs 34 lakhs per annum. Frequent cuts in power supply have become a regular feature, and these are causing serious disruption of production. The scheme for subsidising controlled cloth from June 1971 and the decline in cotton prices, however, have improved the outlook for the textile section. Also, new machines and equipments are being installed in the various departments.