No lock out plan for HM Uttarpara factory

Kolkata, Mar 29 (UNI) Ruling out the possibility of lock out in its Uttarpara factory, Hindustan Motors management today appealed to the striking workers to stop violence and restore normalcy .

"The HM management does not feel that the situation calls for a closure or lock out. It is not on the management's agenda" Corporate Communications General Manager Soni Srivastava said.

Detailing the situation following the strike by a section of workforce, Ms.Srivastava said the C K Birla group company was forced to ask for the court's intervention because of the threat to life and property following the activities of a section of workers.

The Calcutta High Court today issued a directive to the authorities at Hooghly to maintain complete law and order in and around the factory premises.

The High Court also ordered among other things that police authorities must act forthwith on complaints and take effective steps to prevent offence, any untoward incident must be dealth with strongly and the union should be allowed to carry their trade union acivities strictly as per law.

Two of the five registered unions of HM's Uttarpara factory resorted to the strike from March 13 demanding payment of arrear wages without serving any notice.

However, describing it as a 'sinister' design, the CITU union dissociated itself from the agitation and called for a tripartite meeting for resolving the crisis.

In reply to a question, Ms. Soni said altogether 1500 of the total 4,000 workforce attended their duty today. She alleged that a large section of the willing workers were being intimidated and prevented from joining duty by a small section of agitators.

With the second manufacturing unit being located in Chennai, Hind Motors's Uttarpara facility is the only manufacturing centre for Ambassador cars.

UNI