NRC-workers stand-off continues

The management had announced the new bonus at 11 pm on October 24. On Saturday, about 1,000 irate workers began collecting in the company premises, and a group of them attacked the general manager Mukund Bhalerao with iron rods, chains. Managing director K Buddhiraja was also beaten up by a group of hooded assailants. Both were hospitalised, and the MD was reportedly in a serious condition.

While asserting that the company had always kept workers’ interests in mind, the release requested them to “give up their aggressive stand” and resolve the problem through dialogue. If the violence didn’t stop, the company might have to resort to a lockout, warned the release.

“The company owes bonus to only 300 workers (of the 7,000-strong staff) according to the Company Payment of Bonus Act,” the release said, adding that it was going through a rough financial patch due to continuing losses and mounting debts to various financial institutions.

The release claimed that NRC was paying workers Rs 9,000 when it was binding on them to only pay Rs 6,000. The company had paid workers a bonus and ex gratia of Rs 10,600 for 1994-95 after profits of Rs 7.0 crore. The bonus was hiked to Rs 11,250 in 1995-96 when profits surged to Rs 11.65 crore.

In 1996-97 too, the company made a profit of Rs 4 crore in the first four months. However, a sudden strike by workers in the rayon packing and bleaching departments led to heavy losses to the company. This, the release alleges, was done at the behest of the Maharashtra General Kamgar Union.

With the strike continuing for four months, NRC claimed that this year’s profits had been Rs 4.74 crore only. This forced the company to pay workers only Rs 9,000 as bonus.

State Labour Minister Shabir Shaikh, who visited the company premises when union representatives and senior managers apprised him of the situation, ruled out the possibility of closure of the company.

Hoping for a peaceful settlement, the minister assured that “the government will provide all possible help in negotiations if asked to.”Meanwhile, none of the 7,000 workers have collected their bonus so far. With the union refusing to budge and the company sticking to its guns, the last word in this battle is yet to come.