JMM warns Telco of fresh agitation

JMM warns Telco of fresh agitation
ENS ECONOMIC BUREAU

JAMSHEDPUR, NOV 23: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has threatened to launch a fresh agitation against automobile firm, Tata Engineering if the latter does not fulfill the promise to re-instate workers, said Sunil Mahato, a senior leader of the party. The company is issuing pink slips to workers at its shop floor level and its top officers.

“We will review the situation and launch a fresh agitation, if need be, in case the promises are not kept,” the JMM leader said after the party called off the first economic blockade on Wednesday. The three-day agitation was called off “after the management conceded to some of our demands,” he said.

The JMM has been agitating on behalf of 3,500 temporary workers and a few hundred annual rate contract (ARC) labourers of Telco, urging the company to convert them into permanent workers.

Telco has made losses of over Rs 220 crore in the first half of the current fiscal and it has drawn up plans to sack over 2800 staffers, mostly the blue collar workers, from its rolls by the end of current fiscal. On an average, a worker will get Rs 2 lakh to accept the boot.

Mahato participated at the tripartite meeting between the party, the Telco management and the district officials in the presence of the assistant labour commissioner, N Prasad.

Mahato said that as per the settlement reached, the management has promised to renew the gate passes of annual rate contract (ARC) labourers by December 10 next which, had not been done for the last two months (September and October).

The management will also pay wages to the ARC labourers for the two months by December 22 next, as per their attendance registered with either the contractors or the supervisor, he said. It has also agreed to make payment of variable dearness allowance at rates enhanced on October 1, 1998 and April 1999, by December 22 next.

However, a company official pointed out that “the responsibility of paying all these dues to the labourers lies with the contractors and the company is aware of its own statutory responsibilities.”

On the issue of temporary workers, Mahato said 10 days’ time has been given to Telco to produce proof of the agreement reached between the company and Telco Workers’ Union (TCWU). The party has also asked the company to state how it intends to absorb the temporary workers into its permanent workforce.“We will review the situation and launch a fresh agitation, if need be, in case the promises are not kept,” the JMM leader said.