The Hindu Business Line : Employees of 3 jute mills in AP threaten stir from Sunday

WORKERS of three jute mills in Vizianagaram district, numbering 12,000, are threatening to go on strike from Sunday, as wage negotiations have made no headway so far.

At a press meet here on Friday, Mr P. Prasad, Vice-President of the Indian Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU), and the convenor of the State Jute Co-ordination Committee, said theworkers were employed in three jute mills under the same management - Hooghly Jute Mills - in Vizianagaram district, two of the mills located at Vizianagaram, and the third at Bobbili in the same district.

He said of the 12,000 workers in the three mills - Aruna, East Coast and Bobbili Mill - 10,000 were apprentices and the rest "badili" (skilled, but non-permanent) and permanent workers.

Explaining the wage structure in the industry, Mr Prasad said a worker, taken as an apprentice in a jute mill, should be moved to the "badili" category after a few years and paid the same wage as a permanent worker.

"On the basis of the accepted principle of equal pay for equal work, there should be no discrimination between a permanent worker and badili worker in a jute mill in terms of wage, though there may be difference in the number of working days. Unfortunately, the basic norm is being violated in most mills of West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh."

He said the permanent workers in the three mills were getting Rs 142 per day and the union had put up the initial demand of Rs 130 per day for the badili workers, but scaled it down to Rs 127 per day.

"The management, beginning with Rs 95 per day for the badili worker, has gradually hiked it to Rs 103 per day. It is not acceptable to us. We take the view that in the present industrial scenario the management can concede our demand and it should do so," he said.

He said nine rounds of discussions on the issue had not resulted in an agreement and yet another round of talks was due late on Friday. If it failed, the union would have no option but to go on strike.

He urged the State Government to intervene and exert pressure on the management to concede the demand of workers.

More Stories on : Jute | Trade & Labour Unions | Andhra Pradesh

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