Dearth of workers hits fireworks production

SIVAKASI: Shortage of skilled workers has taken a toll on the production of fireworks in Sivakasi, industrialists here complain.Sivakasi has about 620 cracker manufacturing units in which about 1.5 lakh are employed directly. Sixty percent of them are women.During the past few years, many new factories have come up. But there is no proportionate increase in the number of workers. Reason, adolescent girls over 16 years migrate to Tirupur to work in spinning and hosiery mills there on contract for a period of three years. As far as the male workers are concerned, they find it more lucrative to work in cottages and gardens where fireworks are produced. These and other reasons had led to an acute shortage in workers in fireworks units, they said.Manufacturers say that the only solution to this problem was the mechanisation of some activities of the industry. Crackers were largely produced manually. With permission from the Central Department of Explosives, some of the activities like mixing chemicals have been mechanised. This had led to quicker mixing of chemicals.A P Selvarajan, Director of Kaleeswary Fireworks, said that a study should be undertaken to find out the activities for which machines could be used. This needed the involvement of fireworks manufacturers. If the industry was not mechanised, there was the danger of the industry suffering due to shortage of workers. Therefore, the Central and State governments should take note of this problem and chalk out a proper strategy, he said.