As a firm expression of commitment towards the working class in the state, the LDF government led by CPI(M) has reopened cashew factories that were closed down during the UDF government’s rule.  
Cashew workers are in a festive mood as the factories under the Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation and Kerala Cashew Workers Apex Industrial Cooperative Society (Capex) resumed functioning.
Cashew industry is a major traditional industry in the state. Capex and KSCDC factories together had about 16,000 workers.
Last week, the minister for cashew industry, J Mercykutty Amma inaugurated the reopening of the public-sector Kerala State Cashew Development Corporation factories. All the 30 factories of the KSCDC which had been lying closed for the past one year had been reopened, all 10 factories of Capex would start operations this week. For the modernisation of these factories, Rs 100 crore had been allocated in this year’s budget and Rs 25 crore from that had been released.
The minister said the government has noticed that some private players have not opened their factories though they have enough stock for processing. The minister urged all the private factories that have been shut owing to hiked minimum wages to start functioning along with the corporation. “There were lobbying on the part of private cashew company owners to prevent reopening them before Onam aiming at utilising the cashew workers for low wages. They had also conspired for not giving them Onam bonus in the wake of increased minimum wages,” she said.
The Cashew Workers Center (CITU) is continuing its struggles demanding reopening of the private factories which stay shut down as against the government's decision to reopen before 'Onam'.