Thoothukudi, April 6 : The matchbox manufacturing ts across Tamil Nadu on Wednesday began a 12-day strike in protest against the rising raw material prices and urging the wholesale traders to accept their decision to increase the price by Rs 50 per bundle. Over 300 semi-automated matchbox ts, 50 fully automated ts and around 2,000 allied industries, including packaging ts in Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Virudhunagar, Tenkasi, Vellore and Krishnagiri districts suspended their operations in response to a strike call given by the National Small Matchbox Manufacturers’ Association and Tamil Nadu Matchboxes Manufacturers’ Association. Talking to newsmen here, V.S.Sethurathinam, Secretary of National Small Matchbox Manufacturers’ Association said the prices of 18 raw materials required to make matchboxes have increased by 30 to 50 percent since last December. Further, the rise in fuel prices, toll fees and labour wages has affected the production costs. He said following the rise in matchbox raw material price in the past 90 days, the matchboxes manufacturers have decided to increase the price of one matchbox bundle containing 600 matchboxes from Rs 300 to Rs 350. However, the wholesale traders buying the matchbox bundles directly from the manufacturers refused to accept the price hike. The wholesale traders (buyers) who have huge stocks of matchboxes in their godowns, refuse to buy our products at the revised rate as they hope to manage the striking period with the stocks available with them. In view of the unfavourable situation, the matchboxes manufacturing ts have suspended their production operation from today to April 17, Sethurathinam added. The matchbox manufacturers were paying a huge sum of money to the government in the form of goods and service tax. But, the government has not taken any steps to save the match industry by controlling the raw material price. The associations appealed to the Tamil Nadu government to take steps to supply raw materials to the matchboxes manufacturing ts through the Tamil Nadu Small Industries Development Corporation Limited (SIDCO) in order to bring down the prices of raw materials. They also urged the Central government to check the smuggling of lighters from China to India, which is severely affecting the domestic matchboxes manufacturing industry. GSM CS1251
