Workers of umbrella-making units in Kerala find the going tough due to COVID-19 pandemic
[ad_1]
Unavailability of required supplies coupled with a scarcity of demand have hit manufacturing units, particularly small-scale units and people concerned in umbrella-making, onerous
Every yr, the demand for umbrellas shoots up forward of the monsoon in June, which coincides with the reopening of faculties in the State.
Salija N.S. (37) of Muhamma in Alappuzha district used to get bulk orders for stitching umbrella canopies in April and May from Marari Marketing Ltd, an organization owned by Kudumbashree neighbourhood teams, which sells umbrellas beneath the model identify ‘Maari’.
This yr, Salija acquired orders for stitching 600 umbrella canopies, which she says is just a tiny fraction in contrast to the earlier years. “I used to stitch 240 umbrellas in a day, earning ₹600. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, I made ₹45,000 between April and July in 2020. This year, however, the situation is different. I have been stitching umbrellas for the past 10 years and have never gone through such an ordeal. Financially, it has been a difficult couple of months for my family due to the lack of work,” says Ms. Salija, a mom of two.
Her husband, a coir employee, turned unemployed after the imposition of COVID-19-induced lockdown and the household is discovering it onerous to make ends meet.
Stitching luggage
“Although the government has eased lockdown restrictions, I am not expecting fresh orders any time soon,” she says. With hardly any orders for cover stitching, Salija has turned to stitching carry luggage for Supplyco for distributing meals kits.
Unavailability of required supplies coupled with a scarcity of demand have hit manufacturing units, particularly small-scale units and people concerned in umbrella-making, onerous.
Ramadevi V. (60) of Kalavoor, who’s working in the ending unit of an umbrella-making firm, says her wage has change into irregular in the final couple of months. “It is my only source of livelihood. There is not much work and people like me are facing an uncertain future,” she says.
Sajimon, in-charge of advertising and manufacturing at Marari Marketing, says the gross sales have nosedived this season. “We used to sell around 50,000 umbrellas during the school reopening period. This year, the sale is yet to touch even 5,000. This has affected the production units,” he says.
[ad_2]
