OCCUPATIONAL WAGE SURVEY SIXTH ROUND 2008

OCCUPATIONAL WAGE SURVEY SIXTH ROUND 2008

REPORT ON TEXTILE INDUSTRY

MAIN FINDINGS OF THE SURVEY

The important findings of the Occupational Wage Survey conducted for the Textiles Industries are given below:-

INTRODUCTION

1. The survey covered five Textiles Industries, viz., Cotton, Woollen, Silk, Synthetic and Jute Textiles under the Sixth round of the Occupational Wage Survey.

STRUCTURE OF WORK FORCE

2. Out of the total employment of 7.82 lakh workers in five Textiles Industries, a vast majority of workers i.e. 88.37 per cent were men and remaining 11.63 per cent were women. None of the five Textiles Industries reported employment of adolescents and children. (Para 2.2)

3. Vast majority of workers i.e. 79.80 per cent were employed by the time-rated system and the remaining 20.20 per cent by piece-rated system. At the industry level, the highest proportion of time-rated workers was reported at 99.19 per cent in Woollen Textiles and the lowest 22.15 per cent in Jute Textiles, highest proportion of piece rated workers was reported at 77.85 per cent in Jute Textile whereas in Jute Textiles, all workers in Kerala Stratum were reported to be employed on piece rated system. Kerala state also reported employment of 98.25 per cent of the total workers in Cotton Textiles Industry employed on piece rated system. (Para 2.3)

4. The highest percentage of total work force i.e. 10.74 per cent was employed as 'Winder' followed by 8.11 per cent employed as 'Helper'.(Para 2.6)

5. Spinners constituted 4.81 per cent of the total work force employed in five Textile Industries and the proportion of Weavers, all categories taken together, was 8.78 per cent. (Para 2.6)

WAGE RATES AND DEARNESS ALLOWANCE

6. The average daily wage rates worked out to Rs.200.16 in Jute Textiles, Rs.144.70 in Synthetic Textiles, Rs.136.24 in Woollen Textiles, Rs.130.56 in Silk Textiles and Rs.119.24 in Cotton Textiles. (Para 3.3)

7. The overall average daily wage rates of men, women and all workers for all the five Textiles industries combined together were Rs.150.72, Rs.73.86 and Rs.141.79 respectively. (Para 3.4)

8. In Cotton Textiles, the highest and lowest average daily wage rates were reported in 'Mechanical/Electrical Foreman' Rs.293.50 and 'Blacksmith' Rs.72.33. In Woollen Textiles, the highest and the lowest average daily wage rates were reported in 'Supervisor' Rs.273.19 and 'Sorter' Rs.87.13 occupations, respectively. The highest and the lowest average daily wage rates in Silk Textiles were reported in 'Head Jobber' Rs.235.89 and 'Cooker' Rs.73.76 occupations, respectively. In Synthetic Textiles, the highest and the lowest average daily wage rates were reported in 'Front Sizer/Sizer' Rs.307.69 and 'Tape Man' Rs.68.75 occupations, respectively. In Jute Textiles, the highest and lowest average daily wage rates were reported in 'Breaker Receiver' Rs.229.43 and 'Mechanic (General)' Rs.115.38 occupations, respectively. (Para 3.8)

9. At industry level, the average daily wage rates of women workers were less than that of the men workers in all the five Textiles industries. However, the average daily wage rate of women workers was higher than that of their men counterparts in one occupation, namely 'Stitcher' in Cotton Textiles, 3 occupations, namely, 'Darner/Cloth Moulder, 'Drawing Man' and 'Clipper Parcher' in Woollen Textiles, one occupation viz., 'Cloth Checker' in Silk Textiles, 2 occupations viz., 'Helper' and 'Drawing Frame Tenter' in Synthetic Textiles and 3 occupations viz., 'Sweeper', 'Breaker Feeder' and 'Finisher Receiver' in Jute Textiles. (para 3.8)

10. The maximum increase in real wage rates during Sixth Round as compared to Fifth Round was reported at 26.29 per cent in the Jute Textiles, followed by 17.01 per cent in Synthetic Textiles, 5.93 per cent in Silk Textiles and 1.15 per cent in Woollen Textiles whereas a decline of 24.58 per cent was reported in Cotton Textiles. (Para 3.9)

11. Dearness allowance as a separate component of wages/salaries was paid in 15.92 per cent of units covering 83.94 per cent of the employees of these units in five Textiles Industries. (Para 3.10.1)

12. Among different Textiles Industries, 35.12 per cent units in Jute Textiles, 20.49 per cent units in Cotton Textiles, 17.39 per cent units in Silk Textiles, 5.30 per cent units in Woollen Textiles and 4.65 per cent units in Synthetic Textiles were paying dearness allowance to their employees. (Para 3.10.1)

13. Out of the total units paying dearness allowance to their employees, 23.22 per cent units were reported to be using CPI numbers brought out by Labour Bureau for payment of DA, whereas 6.61 per cent of the units were using CPI series brought out by State Governments and remaining 70.17 per cent units were paying dearness allowance without using any CPI series. (Para 3.10.1, Table 3.10)

14. The proportion of units paying dearness allowance according to variation in the Consumer Price Index Numbers was 26.27 per cent. A vast majority of units i.e. 64.63 per cent of the units were paying D.A. on flat rates whereas 5.72 per cent units were paying D.A. on pay scale/slab system. Another 1.69 per cent of units each paid D.A. by other methods and combination of all these. (Para 3.10.3).

15. All the units paying dearness allowance in Rajasthan and Gujarat Strata of Cotton Textiles, Maharashtra stratum of Silk Textiles, Residual stratum of Woollen Textiles, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Residual strata of Synthetic Textiles and West Bengal and Residual strata of Jute Textiles were reported to be not using any CPI series. None of the units paying DA pertaining to Cotton Textiles in Kerala stratum and Silk Textiles in Karnataka stratum was reported using CPI Numbers of Labour Bureau. (Para 3.10.1)

16. Out of the total units using Labour Bureau Consumer Price Index Numbers for Industrial workers, 79.21 per cent of units were using base 1982 series and 14.05 per cent were using base 1960 series for payment of dearness allowance to their employees. (Para 3.10.1)

PAYROLL EARNINGS

17. The overall average daily earnings of men, women and all workers for all the five Textiles Industries combined together worked out to Rs. 155.31, Rs. 78.07 and Rs. 146.33, respectively. (Para 4.2)

18. The average daily earnings of men workers were the highest at Rs.216.18 in Jute Textiles, followed by Rs.176.83 in Woollen Textiles. Similarly, the average daily earnings of women workers were the highest at Rs.125.76 in Jute Textiles, followed by Rs.113.16 in Woollen Textiles Industry, whereas the average daily earnings of both men and women workers were the lowest at Rs. 131.52 and Rs.76.41 respectively in Cotton Textiles industry. (Para 4.2)

19. The average daily earnings of women workers were less than that of their men counterparts in all the five Textiles Industries under study. However, the earnings of women workers were more than that of their men counterparts in one occupation, viz. ‘Mercerising Feeding Operator’ in Cotton Textiles, two occupations, viz. ‘Darner/Cloth Minder’ and 'Drawing Man' in Woollen Textiles, four occupations, viz. ‘Helper’, 'Packer', 'Drawing Frame Tenter', and 'Sider/Two forone Tenter' in Synthetic Textiles, one occupation, viz. ‘Breaker Feeder’ in Jute Textiles. (Para 4.2 & Para 4.10)

20. At the industry level, the average daily earnings of time-rated workers were more than that of piece-rated workers in Cotton, Woollen and Silk Textiles. In Synthetic and Jute Textiles time-rated workers earned less than piece-rated workers. (Para 4.3)

21. For all the five Textiles Industries taken together, the average daily earnings of time-rated men, women and all workers recorded at Rs.139.08, Rs.74.95 and Rs.131.10 respectively were lower than that of their piece rated counterparts recorded at Rs.216.58, Rs.96.30 and Rs.206.48 respectively. (Para 4.4 and Para 4.5)

22. The basic wages and dearness allowance accounted for 91.88 per cent of total average daily earnings for all the five Textiles Industries. (Para 4.6)

23. For all the five Textiles industries taken together, the average daily earnings of 6.68 per cent workers were Rs. 250.01 and above whereas for 36.70 per cent workers these were upto Rs.100.00. (Para 4.7)

24. At stratum level, 23.35 per cent of the workers in Gujarat stratum of Synthetic Textiles and 22.79 per cent of the workers in Punjab stratum of Woollen Textiles earned Rs.250.01 and above per day. In Cotton Textiles, 0.77 per cent workers of Tamil Nadu stratum and in Woollen Textiles 0.24 per cent workers of Residual stratum earned upto Rs.25.00 per day. None of the workers in Silk Textiles earned more than Rs.150.00 per day in Tamil Nadu stratum whereas none of the workers in Jute Textiles earned more than Rs.150.00 in Kerala stratum and Rs.125.00 in Tamil Nadu stratum. (Para 4.7)

25. The highest average daily earnings in all the different occupations were reported at Rs.299.84 for 'Mechanical/Electrical Foreman' in Cotton Textiles, Rs.277.29 for 'Supervisor' in Woollen Textiles, Rs.246.25 for 'Head Jobber' in Silk Textiles, Rs.282.74 for 'Head Jobber' in Synthetic Textiles and Rs.329.16 for 'Electrician' in the Jute Textiles. On the other hand, the lowest average daily earnings were reported at Rs.78.75 for 'Motor Mechanic' in Cotton Textiles, Rs.82.00 for 'Sorter' in Woollen Textiles, Rs.73.67 for 'Reeler' in Silk Textiles, Rs.68.46 for 'Tape Man' in Synthetic Textiles and Rs.100.00 for 'Mechanic (General)' in Jute Textiles. (Para 4.10)

26. The real earnings of the workers have increased in all the five Textiles Industries except Cotton Textiles industry during the sixth round of Occupational Wage Survey compared to the fifth round of O.W.S. The highest increase in real earnings has been reported at 32.85 per cent in Woollen Textiles, followed by 32.11 per cent in Jute Textiles, 14.39 per cent in Silk Textiles and 8.04 per cent in Synthetic Textiles. The real earnings of workers have declined by 31.98 per cent in Cotton Textiles. (Para 4.13)

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