The Tamil Nadu Industries Association leaders have announced that around 50,000 industries including small-scale industries will go on a one-day strike on Monday, September 25 against the electricity tariff revision in the state. The protesting organisations are also demanding the state to withdraw peak hour charge and fixed charges. The office bearers of the striking organisations said that around three crore labourers including 1.2 crore registered employees and mirgrant labourers in these 50,000 units will strike work on Monday.
They said that the state government did not consult with the industry representatives before taking a decision to increase the power tariff. They also charged that while states like Maharashtra, Haryana, and Gujarat were providing subsidies to industries, the Tamil Nadu government is creating difficulties for the industries with exorbitant electricity tariffs.
Tiruppur Exporters and Manufacturers Association (TEAMA) president MP Muthurathinam said, “The garment industries are suffering due to low order volume as well as labour issues. The peak hour charges levied in two phases from 6 am to 10 am and from 6 pm to 10 pmi and fixed charges are crippling small industries.”
Another industrialist from Coimbatore said that the prices of HP motors for which the city is famous, has almost doubled due to the peak charges and fixed charges as well as electricity tariff hike. Speaking to IANS, the industrialist said, “We are seriously facing a shut down and the state which was once an attractive destination is slowly becoming a persona non granta for us and we are planning to scout other states for better prospects.”
Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), Coimbatore, South Indian Engineering Manufacturers Association (SIEMA), and Tamil Nadu Electricity Consumers Association (TECA) are among the 165 industries organisations from the state that will participate in the strike on Monday against electricity tariff revision.