My code is different from your code. My code works. I test it as follows:

#!/usr/bin/perl -w

my $logfile = "./totte.log";
open my $log, '-|', qw(tail -f), $logfile
    or die "Couldn't tail logfile '$logfile': $!";
while (<$log>) {
    chomp;
    print "Got line >>$_<<\n";
};
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Note the order and the lack of whitespace in the second argument to open.

The whole console session is:

osabst@dfrsifc1:/tmp $ cat >totte.log
test

osabst@dfrsifc1:/tmp $ perl -w tmp.pl
Got line >>test<<
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This is where I add another line to the logfile from another session

Got line >>test2<<
$ cat tmp.pl
#!/usr/bin/perl -w

my $logfile = "./totte.log";
open my $log, '-|', qw(tail -f), $logfile
    or die "Couldn't tail logfile '$logfile': $!";
while (<$log>) {
    chomp;
    print "Got line >>$_<<\n";
};
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