SAHAGUNJ (WB), MARCH 11: The Sahagunj unit of Dunlop India Limited was re-opened today after a gap of almost over two years with all the 4,000-odd workers reporting for duty.The jubilant workers and their families, danced their way inside the factory premises as soon as the gates were opened by the security personnel. The workers and employees applied `gulal' on each other's faces which lent a festive spirit in this erstwhile island of spectre and gloom.The better halves were not far behind. As they stood beside their partners in time of despair, joined the crowd and sprinkled petals on the passers-by, apparently with the message that happy days had returned once again. The womenfolk blowed conchs when the management, through the public address system, was welcoming the workers to enter the factory.The president of the company, M D Shukla, while addressing the workers, read out a fax message of the chairman, M R Chhabria, saying that re-opening of the factory was a big challenge for both the management and the employees, and only meaningful co-operation between the two would help overcome it.Shukla, quoting Chhabria, said the company board would try its best to bring back the old glory to Dunlop India. The company president also hoisted the Dunlop flag inside the factory premises before addressing the workers. Although the workers were joyous, a sense of scepticism prevailed on their faces. Many were of the opinion that the re-opening was shortlived and they might have to again bear the trauma of closure.The president of state INTUC, Subrata Mukherjee, who visited the plant today said that the workers were a bit worried about the meagre infusion of funds to the tune of Rs 20 crore for re-opening the two units, the other being at Ambattur in Tamil Nadu.He said that Dunlop Rubber Factory Labour Union, affiliated to INTUC, would shortly sit with the management on this issue. On the other hand, the general secretary of CITU-affiliated Dunlop Workers' Union, Dipankar Roy, said the "management could have curtailed the huge expenses incurred on account of re-opening". He felt that this could have been a low-key affair and some money could have been given to the workers who were unpaid for almost 25 months.The company president, Shukla, said that Rs 20 crore that had been provided by Chhabria was in the form of equity. He said that this money was enough to run the company as a hold in operation and to meet the wages of workers, raw material costs and electricity dues.According to him, the company would be run in such a manner that it did not suffer cash loss till the time BIFR cleared the revival package for the company.
