The tea shops have just one or two customers at the counter, the roads are almost deserted, and very few workers are seen outside the factories during lunchtime. This is SIDCO Industrial Estate on Monday though the 275 units at the estate started functioning on May 6, after more than a month of lockdown.
Selvakumar, a mini goods vehicle driver, is taking a nap under the shade of a tree. “I have not made a single trip since last Monday. On an average I used to earn ₹7,000 to ₹8,000 a month. More than 10 vehicles at the estate used to move goods from one unit to another or to customers outside the estate before the lockdown. Now, there is no work,” he says.
An eatery on the campus, which was serving over 100 customers for breakfast, lunch or dinner, now sells just 10 of 15 parcels for lunch or breakfast.
Though it is nearly three weeks since the industries started functioning at the SIDCO estate at Kurichi, several factors contribute to low utilisation of the manufacturing capacities.
Of the 6,000 workers employed by the 275 industries, almost 3,000 are migrant workers. Just 500 have stayed back and the rest have returned to their home towns, says P. Nallathambi, president of Coimbatore SIDCO Industrial Estate Manufacturers’ Welfare Association (COSIEMA). Industries that have the necessary resources take e-passes, send vehicles and bring back workers from other districts within the State. But the micro units are unable to do so. Not all the women workers who used to come from other parts of Coimbatore district are able to report to work as there is no public transport, he says.
Thus, labour shortage is a major challenge for the industries. On the other hand, there is no clarity on orders from buyers. The manufacturers hope to get a clarity on the market in a week or two.
“There are no private orders. Those who have government orders are executing it. It may take about three months for the market to pick up. Overseas buyers are not ready to take the orders they placed,” says S. Surulivel, who has an engineering unit at the estate and is former president of COSIEMA. Of the 17 workers he employed for two shifts, only 11 are available now and all of them have to be accommodated in one shift. “There are difficulties. Raw material supply from the north is irregular. Hence, local traders are increasing the costs,” he adds.
“If I want a particular variety of a steel product, the trader does not have it. The units are facing non-availability of raw materials, especially steel items,” adds Mr. Nallathambi.
However, for the workers, reopening of industries has come as a relief.
Uthriyai, who works at a heat treatment plant at SIDCO, walks to her workplace every day. “I started coming to work only on Wednesday. Till then, there was no job and we managed with whatever the company paid us for the lockdown period,” she says.
Netaji Apparel Park
At Netaji Apparel Park in Tiruppur district, the 60 garment units are operating at just 40 % capacity. Most of the migrant workers have left. The companies send buses to rural areas of Coimbatore and Erode district to bring workers. Earlier, 60 to 70 workers travelled in a bus. Now, only 20 are permitted. Labour shortage is affecting production, says a garment exporter. Overseas buyers are asking for supplies and the garment manufacturers will be able to take up orders only according to each unit’s workforce availability, he says.