Coimbatore, May 25: The stalemate over wage revision for workers of the knitwear industry in nearby Tirupur remained unresolved with the latest round of talks failing to find an amicable solution. The fourth round of talks, held by local AIADMK MLA Sivaswami with the representatives of the managements and six unions last night failed to break the deadlock over percentage-wise increase, union sources said.

The managements, firm on productivity linked wages, offered rupee-wise hike for three different categories of workers and had expressed their willingness to provide five per cent increase in the basic pay for a period of five years against unions' demand of 50 per cent increase over the last wage agreement, which expired in February last.

Arguing that the managements had given a total of 25 per cent increase during the last agreement for three years (15 per cent in the first year and five each in second and third year), the sources said that the proposed five per cent increase for entire five years would be "betraying" over 1.5 lakh workers.

With the issue remaining unresolved, Sivaswami would hold another round of talks tomorrow, they said.

The unions - MLF, Citu, Aituc, Intuc, LPF and ATP - had already decided to hold a massive procession and rally on June 4 where they would announce the future course of action, including a call for a possible indefinite strike or stop doing overtime.

Bureau Report