for no work”. Currently piece rates are given for some of the major paddy farming activities like ploughing, sowing, manuring and spraying insecticides. These rates are arbitrarily determined and periodically revised by labour union without even consulting the concerned farmers. The privilege of farmers to supervise such activities is so limited that they cannot practically suggest any modifications to the ways in which such works are being carried out. In many cases registered head load
workers are employed to carry the reaped sheaves to threshing grounds and their rates are at par with the ordinary rates of head load workers. Even though the IRC of Kuttanad had upheld both the freedom of cultivators to fix the number of workers and their right to select those whom they prefer, at present the farmers prerogative to choose particular workers and their bargaining power in the fixation of wages have been substantially reduced. Many farmers are of the opinion that the once exploited class has now become exploiters and as one of the dejected farmers
