As ministerial-level talks failed to resolve the issues of the cash strapped Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC), the labourers and employees of the HEC have decided to intensify their protest.
However, the HEC management claims that 80 per cent of the workforce have returned to their work and appealed that the rest of the workers should join the work. The HEC management said that only labourers and employees can save HEC which is passing through the tough time. The directors of HEC also tried to convince employees that their demand for timely salary and others would be resolved very soon.
An official communique of the PSU on Monday stated that various jobs were done in different shops of HMBP and FFP. Jobs like Compressor testing, Cranes Testing, Pump testing, Furnace Testing, saw machine testing were done in HMBP. In FFP work was carried out on Akanksha Machining and cutting job via Roll Grinding , Horizontal Boring machine. Apart from this other jobs were also done in various shops of all the three plants.
It further stated that all people have understood that survival of HEC is important and with the support of management all the plants are working. As promised today one month salary was given to both workers and officers. Canteen has started functioning in all the three plants. The Directors took lunch with workers in the Canteen
It is more than two months since HEC has been facing a tool down strike affecting production works. Earlier all three directors of HEC MK Saxena, M Panda and Rana S Chakravarty held a talk with members of the labour organizations. They offered to pay 50 per cent of their pending salary by December 25 besides labourers who will get one month’s salary in January.
But labour unions refused to accept it as peanuts and said that such stopgap arrangements would not solve their problem.
Labourers said that their salary for many months has been withheld and survival has become difficult for them. The management even assured to reopen the canteen for labourers and further said that it would also arrange school fees for children of labourers.
Even the Minister for Heavy Industries, Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey intervened in the matter but also chaired a meeting that bore no result. The ministry turned down the request of the HEC for a bailout package worth Rs 875 Crore. It further refused to allow HEC to increase its bank guarantee and mortgage HEC land to raise money from the market.
Minister had asked HEC management to ensure that workers end their tool down strike. He cautioned a prolonged strike would further prove detrimental for HEC.
There are currently 1350 permanent officers-employees in the company. Besides, there are around 1700 supply workers.
Labourers have alleged HEC management forced them to work without wages for the past several months.
The HEC has currently a work order worth Rs 2000 Crore and it has a completed work order worth Rs 1200 Crore. But the production has been halted. On average HEC has to pay Rs 11 crore per month as salary and wages to labourers. HEC insiders said that even officials have not received their salaries.