Mohanan U., 54, a coir worker for the past 22 years is now staring at an uncertain future.
An employee of a small-scale fibre mat production unit at Komalapuram, he used to earn ₹3,000 every week until recently. “We do not get regular work any more. My earnings last week stood at ₹500. This has been the case for the past several weeks. These are unprecedented times and coir workers like me are set to be plunged into poverty and debts,” Mohanan says.
Chandrababu, 53, a worker at a coir matting production factory at Cherthala and sole breadwinner of a family of three has been informed by the owner that the unit is on the verge of closure.
Unorganised sector
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the coir industry, already in the throes of crisis, to its knees.
The pandemic is set to rob the livelihood of thousands of coir workers in the State, especially those in the unorganised, traditional and informal sectors who make modest daily or weekly earnings.
The industry people say coir products have piled up at units due to large scale cancellations of orders and a decline in exports following the outbreak of the disease in countries in North America and Europe, major buyers of Kerala coir products.
Exports
“The coir sector has been going through tough times and COVID-19 has made it worse. With the disruption in exports, societies and factories have stopped buying from us. It is not feasible to run the unit and I have decided to wind up the business,” says, Sunny C., owner of Aleena Coir Works, Komalapuram. His unit employs 16 workers, who will become jobless from Tuesday.
Sajan B. Nair, secretary general, Federation of Indian Coir Exporters Associations (FICEA) says a lack of demand for coir products is expected to last for at least six months.
To tide over the crisis, FICEA has urged the State government to include 14-day quarantine of employees in ESI holidays, bear ESI/PF share of the manufacturers, and give special discounts for purchases from Coir Corporation. It also calls for the extension of credit facilities to regular buyers for purchases made from Coir Corporation.
P.V. Sathyanesan, general secretary, Kerala State Coir Thozhilali Federation (AITUC) has urged the State government to announce an interim relief for workers in both organised and unorganised sectors.
