KOLLAM: 'The wages are not even enough to buy medicine. I am living without hunger just because I have ration "- Ramaamma, a cashew nut factory worker in Kollam Iravipuram CAPEX, expressed sadness and despair. Even if she works till dawn, she gets a maximum wage of Rs. 300. The wage, which has to be revised at least every five years, remains unchanged even after seven and a half years.

The wages were last revised on February 1, 2016 when the last UDF government was in power. There was a 35 percent increase that day. Last December, the workers' protest was strong demanding an increase in wages. Subsequently, the Cashew Nut Industry Subcommittee was tasked to make a recommendation regarding the revision of wages. The committee held several sittings but did not submit a recommendation. There were 900 cashew nut factories in the state but now it is 150.

Maximum wage is Rs.4500

• Not all workers are regularly employed
• Jobs are given based on the availability of shelled cashew nuts
• Employment only for 14 days a month to get ESI benefit
• Shelling workers with high wages get a maximum of Rs 4500 per month
• The monthly income of grading and peeling workers is less than this
• Workers in private factories do not receive even that
• Public sector workers- 14,000
• Private sector workers- 20,000 people

Various categories of workers, prevailing wage rates

• Grading (separation according to quality of nuts)- Rs.285 per day and DA 325 on average
• Peeling (shelling of nuts)- Rs.46.03 per kg and DA.
• Shelling (pounding of roasted shelled cashew nuts)- Rs.36 per kg and DA.