Citing sustained losses, the Tamil Nadu Open-ended Spinning Mills Association (OSMA) has called for a strike from 7th to 30th November.
Before declaring the strike, OSMA President G Arulmozhi told reporters during a news conference on Saturday, 4th November, that mills had been gradually declining for the last ten years.
“This year, mills have been running in losses. According to our latest survey, 30 mills have already stopped production. Of the over 600 mills in the state, nearly all are functioning only at 50 per cent capacity,” Arulmozhi said.
Now, a list of requests from the federal and State Governments has been presented by OSMA. The Union Government should cease exporting cotton waste, which is a raw material used by the more than 600 mills in the state, and make sure there is a sufficient supply for them. They have also insisted that distinct Harmonised System of Nomenclature (HSN) codes be assigned to their products by the Union Government.
Thirdly, with regards to the import of these fibres, OSMA further requests that the Union Government revoke the quality control order it issued in December 2022 for Viscose Staple Fibres (VSF). The directive states that all VSF variations sold in India have to meet Bureau of India Standards (BIS) requirements. Furthermore, OSMA has requested that the Union Government remove the 11 per cent cotton import duty.
In terms of the State Government, OSMA is demanding that the updated power tariffs return to the pre-revision levels. This is in line with the demands of 40,000 other MSMEs, or micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, which went on strike on 25th September.
Additionally, OSMA has asked that the State Government cease charging rooftop solar panels a fee of Rs. 1.35 and remove the 15 per cent peak hour charge imposed on LTCT (Low Tension Current Transformer) users.
According to Arulmozhi, the textile industries in Punjab, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh are thriving and receive 50 per cent subsidies, whereas the industry in Tamil Nadu is headed for collapse.
