COIMBATORE: A delegation of powerloom owners’ associations from Coimbatore and Tirupur districts submitted petitions to Tamil Nadu ministers at the secretariat in Chennai on Friday, demanding exemption from the annual 6% electricity tariff increase and strict enforcement of wage-hike agreements with textile manufacturers.The delegation, led by Federation of Job-Work Powerloom Owners’ Associations in Coimbatore and Tirupur president E Bhoopathi and secretary P Gopalakrishnan, met revenue minister K A Sengottaiyan, handlooms and textiles minister R Vijay Balaji, labour welfare minister Dr J Mohamed Parvez and backward classes welfare minister Sampath Kumar.In its memorandum, the federation urged the govt to permit installation of rooftop solar panels on powerloom sheds with central and state subsidies.The federation said about two lakh conventional powerlooms in Coimbatore and Tirupur support the livelihoods of poor and middle-income families. These units typically receive yarn from textile producers and manufacture fabrics on a job-work basis.It said wage revision agreements are usually signed once every three years to account for cost inflation and power tariff increases. However, it alleged that textile manufacturers have not implemented agreed wage hikes properly since 2014 and have been paying below the fixed rates, pushing powerloom owners and dependent workers into financial distress.The federation claimed that the latest wage revision agreement signed on April 20, 2025 has not been fully implemented, and sought legal action by the district administration and the govt against manufacturers who fail to comply. It sought a legally enforceable mechanism to ensure implementation of wage agreements.
