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Alappuzha: Amidst chaos in the backwater tourism sector over renewing the contracts of employees working in houseboats, a section of houseboat owners have threatened to go on an indefinite strike from May 21.

The unions representing the houseboat employees and owners are at loggerheads for sometime now over revising the pay structure. The unions had initially demanded a basic salary of Rs. 15,000 and daily allowance of Rs. 374. After several round of talks and threatening to go on an indefinite strike from May 10, unions on May 9 reached an agreement with a section of the houseboat owners on pay hike. As per the agreement reached, an employee is entitled to get a monthly salary of Rs. 12,000, an increase of Rs. 1600 from the present emolument of Rs. 10,400. The daily allowance was also increased to Rs. 290, from the present Rs. 250.

However, five owner outfits with around 600 boats are yet to accept the pay increase. “The unions have reached an agreement with only one owner association, who do business in a corporate way. We are small-scale players and could not pay the increased salary. As such, we are left with no choice but to stop boat operations. We will go on an indefinite strike from May 21, if all parties involved could not reach an amicable settlement by then,” said, K. Vijayan, secretary, All Kerala Houseboats Owners Associations. Mr. Vijayan has claimed support of other owner associations.

Meanwhile confusion prevails in the sector as several houseboats remained anchored and are not conducting operations. Officials with the tourism department said that several tourists who arrived unaware of the developments had to change their plans. “Talks are taking place at the minister level and we are hoping for an early settlement,” said a tourism department official.

P. K. Sajeev Kumar, general secretary, Kerala Houseboat and Resort Workers Union (CITU) said that employees were not on strike path. “We have already reached an agreement on pay hike and the decision is applicable to all. It is up for the houseboat owners to operate their boats,” he said.

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