The main industry in Virudhunagar district Sattur is the match industry. There are more than 300 match factories operating in Sattur, Ezhayarampannai, Mattamalai and Patandal. Currently the match manufacturing industry is affected by the rising cost of raw materials for matches. So the match factory owners have started an 11-day strike demanding a reduction in the price of raw materials. The strike runs until the 17th.
We spoke to Lakshmanan, president of the Sattur Regional Match Manufacturers Association, who said, “There are hundreds of match factories operating in the Sattur area alone, large and small. The basic occupation of the people here is match making. They do this cottage industry and homes little by little. In addition, 50,000 workers depend on the match industry in more than 300 factories, including 7,000 farms, Mattamalai and Patandal.