Printers to raise prices by 20 per cent

Ludhiana, May 19, 2014: Printers of the city closed their shutters on May 17 resulting a gross direct loss of about Rs.4 crores.
It is now decided to call a one day strike in the entire northern region (Punjab, Haryana, J & K, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chandigarh).
“We are already in contact with the printers associations of north India and a joint action committee is being finalised to overcome the unnecessary increase in the kraft paper and duplex board prices by the mills. During the crucial meeting of the Offset Printers’ Association held yesterday under the chairmanship of Kushl Kumar Jain it was unanimously decided to increase the prices at least by 20 percent with immediate effect”, said a release today.
This increase may adversely affect the prices of other commodities because of increase in the prices of packaging, said Kushl Jain. He further added that printers are compelled for this increase because for the last 3 to 4 months the prices of Kraft Paper, Duplex Board and other kind of paper has shown an increase of more than 30 per cent and it now impossible to withstand this increase, especially when the labour cost for skilled and semi skilled workforce is also increased.
Speaking on the occasion, Sanjay Gandhi, Vice President said, it is crucial time for the printing and packaging industry; we are facing stiff challenge like tax free zones in the neighbouring states, dependence of the local industry on Chinese products and non availability of skilled and un-skilled workers.
Gandhi further said that the Printing and Packaging industry is dependent on the migrant labour from less developed states, but due to new schemes like Narega now young persons are settled in their own states and they did not find any attraction to come to Punjab. On the other end this unnecessary and uncalled far increase will prove to be death nail for the Printing & Packaging industry.
Giving stock of the situation, Chaman Lal ‘Bittu’ said, although paper comes under the essential commodities, but the mills/dealers has a cartel and they increase the prices without any prior notice, resulting we have to supply the boxes at the previously agreed terms and prices. Government must take steps to check the prices and ask the mails to intimate the increase, if any, at least 5 months prior, so that we may be able to plan our manufacturing accordingly. He further added that this increase will affect the national economy, because with the increase in the cost of packaging there will definitely an increase in the product cost.