Kumarakom Backwater in Stake - Houseboat Owners and Union Leaders to Meet Today for Amicable Agreement

KOTTAYAM:  Kumarakom is one of the most beautiful regions in Kerala, where thousands of tourists throng to enjoy houseboat tour over the pristine and charming backwater. But this beautiful town is going thought some tough time as there is possibility that the houseboat industry in Kumarakom is likely to get shut down from Tuesday, if both the side the houseboat owners and the Union Leaders do not come to an amicable agreement. There are around 125 houseboats in Kumarakom and the workers are demanding two month’s salary as Onam Advance while the owners of the houseboats are ready to give one month salary as bonus while half of the month’s salary as advance.  Onam is the beginning of tourism season in Kerala and Kumarakom and if the strike is held, it is likely to impact the tourism of the place. “This is the time tourism is always at its peak here. The owners and the workers should co-exist and instead of impacting the tourism, it is better to have talks before the strike. If there is strike, the tourism industry gets affected and more of all the image of the place as a tourism destination also gets affected,”said Roopesh Kumar, state Co-ordinator, Responsible Tourism. Last year also, the houseboat industry was affected due to strikes. “ In a meeting, presided by tourism minister A P Anil Kumar in September last year, we had fixed the salary of the houseboat workers for two years,” said Shanej Indraprastham, secretary, Houseboat Owner’s Society. During the meeting an agreement was made and in the salary was hiked from 4,500 to 6,850 and also a daily allowance from Rs 125 to Rs 170. “Already the houseboat industry is going through a tough time and in the business in last few months business has been largely affected due to floods, rain, spread of diseases and also due to the global economic crisis,” he said. “Now if we give way to this demands of the workers, a boat owner with three staff has to pay a total of 61,650 extra as a salary and bonus for this month,” he said. “Such strikes announced at a short notice are unsympathetic on tourists and we have made advance booking these days,” he added. Ratheesh Vituppukala, president of the Kottayam Unit of Kerala Houseboat and Resort workers Union (CITU) said that the workers are not asking for the hike in salary and this question does not arise here.
“We are only asking for bonus.” he said. “The owners are not giving any importance to our demand and they are not even bothered to call us for a talk. So from Tuesday, we have organized for a strike,” he said.  Around 110 workers of the houseboat industry are associated with the Trade Union, he added.