The Hindu Business Line : Jute mill workers to call off strike

The workers of the three jute mills in Vizianagaram district - Aruna, East Coast, and Bobbili - have agreed to call off their five-month-old strike for better wages on Tuesday following a provisional agreement with the management. The general body meeting of the union will be convened on Thursday and after obtaining the consent of the workers the strike will be finally called off and the way cleared for the re-opening of the mills. Twelve thousand workers participated in the strike.

The workers of the three jute mills, under Hoogly Jute Mills (Kolkata-based group), went on strike on February 22 and the issue was referred to the labour court on July 11, after the failure of a series of talks.

However, on the representation of the workers, the Government directed the Deputy Commissioner of Labour, Visakhapatnam, to convene a fresh round of negotiations on Monday and Tuesday. Mr. N.C Jain, the Chief Executive Officer of the Hoogly Mills Projects Pvt Ltd, represented the management. Mr Prasad, Mr Sankara Rao and Mr Gopalam, the leaders of the Indian Federation of Trade Unions (IFTU), participated in the talks.

The management agreed to make all the apprentices having completed four-and-a-half years of service as on Feb 22 as "new badili" workers. It also agreed to pay interim relief of Rs 103 from the day of reopening of the mills and the final agreement between the parties within two months or so. The management gave an assurance that the workers would not be victimised for participating in the strike, but no work no pay principle would be followed for the strike period. Strike period would not be deemed as training period.

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

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