Work stalled at Kanpur jute mill,govt issues notice

Taking a serious note of the issue,the Labour department has issued a showcause notice to the mill and asked to explain its stand by Wednesday. “The management stopped production work and locked the gate without informing the Labour department. We have,therefore,issued a showcause notice to the management,” said Additional Labour Commissioner Shriram Singh,while adding that the management and employee union leaders have been invited to the department on Wednesday to resolve the issue.

“Only after hearing both the sides will we be in a position to decide on the issue,” he said.

The mill management has,however,held the employee union leaders responsible for the temporary work suspension.

Mill general manager B C Boaradia said: “The employee union leaders are dictators. They neither work nor do they allow other employees to work.”

He claimed that even as the mill can accommodate around 4,200 employees,the poor production level has forced the management to recruit only 2,300 employees.

“Compared to the expected production of 70 tonnes per day,the production has dipped by 10 to 15 tonnes a day over the past three weeks,” he said,adding: “The management was left with no other option but to suspend work till time normalcy is restored in the unit.”

The representatives of the seven employee unions of J K Jute Mill,meanwhile,met ADM (City) Shakuntala Gautam and sought her intervention in the issue. Gautam said: “I have asked the mill management to present the details of production carried out in the unit since January 2010.”

President of J K Jute Mill Mazdoor Panchayat Daulat Ram said: “The move of the management is aimed at creating differences between employees,but we are united in our protest against the management.” The employee unions started a protest against the mill management from March 22.

“We started with a fast-unto-death protest,and followed it with an indefinite relay protest,” said Ram,adding: “Our unity has left the management in an awkward position. They have,therefore,decided to close the unit temporarily.”

Ram reiterated the major demands of the unions: payment of gratuity funds,permanent job to temporary employees,restart of third shift production and a hike in the number of employees.

On June 21,2003,the mill had been closed down by J K Group,the then owner,owing to heavy financial deficit.

In 2007,Kolkata-based Sarda and Mall group took over the ownership of the unit and the mill was reopened on October 20,2008. In June 2009,work was stalled at the mill following employee protests.